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"Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 2:10
Two people bask in the glow of a cozy, den fireplace. Outside a cold, gray January sky swirls with snow. One phone call and the man is forced into the night chill by a friend's roadside emergency. The man labors all night in the cold to help his friend - even loaning his coat to the friend's daughter. As daybreak approaches the hungry and chilled man returns to the warmth of his home. As he enters the house, warmth greets his cold frame. A sense of peace and rest covers him.
His wife eagerly awaits his return but she does not understand the appreciation that her husband now has for the heat that this house brings. Although she may also be grateful for the warmth of the fire, she has not experienced the cold and dark to the degree that her husband has.
I thought about this story recently as I contemplated why bad things happen to us. I cannot explain all the reasons behind tragic losses, long-term illnesses or even seemingly premature deaths. It is comforting to know that through all the cold and hard times, we have a promise that at the end of it all, we can come and sit by an eternal fire never to return to the cold again. The best part is the longer we have been in the dark and the colder the night has been, we will appreciate coming home to that fire all the more.
I am thankful for the intense experiences of cold so that I can have a better understanding and appreciation for the warmth in the future.
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3 comments:
Loved your story/scenario --- the bad/anxious times makes us appreciate what is good. So true that Satan and his helpers run through the world doing whatever they can to cause trouble; even if it's "simply" anxiety and worry, he will do that, too! Anyway, if we human beings had ice cream for every meal, we wouldn't want that either! Tempered by fire; without these experiences, how would we be able to handle larger "assignments"?
Love to you all, Gma Pat
:) yeah. It is what gives life its savor. Those who won't go out will never know the thrill of abundance and when thrust out will never see the blessing.
Its almost like that saying "you'll never truely know happiness until you truely know pain." It almost makes me thankful to have something in my life that makes me want to live everyday to its fullest because i don't think i would if i didn't.
Love you guys.
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