Had Enough

Most of us, have either heard and/or used the expression, "I've had enough!"  We all I'm sure have said or thought it ourselves from time to time.  It can be about anything we've grown tired of.  Or simply we can say, we've had enough to eat, enough TV, it doesn't really matter.  Now here's the bigger question.  Have you ever said you've had enough with life?  Or enough of different aspects of your life?  Or enough of uncontrolled events or situations in your life?  Maybe you've felt defeated, and not feeling like you can go on anymore.  Have you been overcome with fear?  Honestly the list is endless.  We all are human and we grow tired.  Our patience can get worn thin.  Each day can present new challenges.

If we look at the world around us, we don't have to look far to see hurtfulness and brokenness.  Sadly this world is full of it.  To this day, I remember all of the lost and broken people throughout the city streets I walked.  There was so much that I witnessed, that was far beyond my imagination prior to joining urban ministries.  I remember walking around feeling like I had such a heavy weight on my shoulders.  I haven't been able to walk the city for over 4 years now because of medical reasons, but the memories of it all are still fresh.  While I was in Mexico, I witnessed and heard so much brokenness as well.  What I all saw, was only a very small percentage of a broken world.

  I think of this past hurricane, and how it destroyed many lives just like that.  I think of the terrorist attacks that happened a few miles from home, in San Bernardino just about 1 year ago.  Even though life moved on, lives were dramaticallly changed and lost by people's act of violence, and hatred towards others. Then a few months later another attack in Orlando, the devestating crocodile accident, and a shooting of a young vocal artist, all within the same week.  There has been devastation around the world from shootings, terrorism, accidents, sickness, poverty, and the list goes on.

Every time I turn on the news, the first several minutes, are about shootings, horrible crimes, fires, and just sadness.  I must admit, I have said it many times that I've had enough with it all.  It breaks my heart.  I wonder what causes people to do the things they do to others.  I think to myself often, of how much it breaks my heart, it must break God's heart immeasurably more.

I've had so much physical pain in my life, to the point where I have told  my mom several times how I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, and have said I don't want anyone to ever go to hell.  We can't imagine how horrible hell will be.  When we look around the world, and hear about all of the torture and suffering people go through, hell is so much worse than all of that.  None of us can comprehend how horrific hell will be, any more than we can begin to imagine how amazing heaven will be.

I have often thought, when God will have had enough with this world.  We long for Jesus to come again soon, and to take us home.  But  at the same time, I hope that God will wait just a little bit longer to come because of so many people that don't know Him.  I have people in my life that haven't accepted Jesus as their Savior.  Every time a shooting happens, or attack happens, I have an inner thought, hoping that they knew Jesus and went to be with Him.  Sadly there are people that die everyday that didn't know Him.  Nothing breaks my heart more.  As much as I am tired and longing for Christ's return, I'd rather suffer much longer, for the sake of others to come to know Christ as their Savior.

For all of you going through hardships, I want to tell you not to lose hope.  Trust in the Lord, I promise you, He will always carry you through and will forever be by your side.  If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, and want to have the hope of living pain free for all eternity with Jesus, all you have to do is ask Him into your life. Jesus died on the cross for you and wants you to come to Him.  His grace is free for all who choose to accept it. Trust me, your life will be so much greater, with Jesus in it.  I've gone through a lot of different hardships all my life, but I'd rather have a life of hardship with Him, than a so called perfect life without Him.  Jesus is everything to me, and it's because of Him, I can wake up each day with a hope.  I know that when I die, or when Jesus comes again, I will never suffer again.  I'll live for all eternity perfectly whole.  If you would like to invite Jesus into your life, I want you to pray this prayer.  Prayer is a way of talking with God, and He loves you so much, and wants to hear from you.  He knows you better than you know you.

For those of you who have said yes to accepting Jesus, here's a simple prayer you can pray.  This is an example prayer, and you can pray it in your own words.  Pray what's on your heart.

Dear Jesus,  I know that I am a sinner.  I know that Your grace is something I can never earn, but it is a gift from You alone.  Lord, I'm sorry for all of the sins I've committed in my life.  Please forgive me for all of my sins Lord.  Come into my heart Lord Jesus.  Lord, thank you for loving me.  Thank you for dying on the cross for me.  Lord I love you and desire to have a relationship with You.  Help me to walk with You.  Show me Your ways Lord.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.   

If you prayed this prayer, I welcome you into God's family!  The next step would be to get a hold of a Bible and to find a Christian church to attend to.  If you need any help with this, you can contact me through this blog site.  There are a lot of online resources out there that can help you too.  Most church's have websites and their contact info on them as well.  God bless you dear friend.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Like a Rose

It has been a long time since I've written last.  To be honest I don't have a good excuse as to why, other than I've been struggling a lot lately and I really have not felt up to it.  I know that is a pretty lame excuse, but I don't have any other explanation.  However, I'm writing now and I want to get back into the swing of doing it more often again.

As many of you know  the last several years have been very hard.  I've been stretched to my breaking point, or so it felt, again and again.  I've felt the feeling of not being able to go on anymore.  Life has just been really hard to be frank.  But I did not decide to write again just to unload on you.  I have more to share that's a lot better.

Today I was outside watering some plants.  God has given me this picture many times, but as I was watering I took a literal look at it.  That is the picture of a rose.

When I'm standing above a rose, this is what I see.  A beautiful rose blooming perfectly.  If I didn't know any better, this would be all I thought a rose was.  But when looking up at a rose from underneath, I see something totally different.  

I see a bunch of thorns twisted around the stem among many leaves, and I barely can see the actual rose.  It doesn't look as pretty from the underside.  How often do we look at our own lives this way?  If we compare this to our lives, and we try to look ahead, we too see a lot of twist and turns that don't make any sense.  As we endure suffering and pain, life just looks like a bunch of thorns to us.  Pain hurts,  it hurts bad.  No matter if it is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, we don't like it when we have to endure pain.  I know I don't like it.  All the storms that have been thrown into my life have been incredibly hard.  Everything from dozens of surgeries, loss of loved ones, various medical problems, etc.. Very much have felt like a twisted mess not making much sense to me.  but one thing that has been a constant thing in my life is God's everlasting love.  He has walked by my side through all of the ups and downs.  He's carried me through when I had no more strength left within me.  He's used me to touch other lives and to bring honor and glory to Him.  I've had great divine appointments through the years.  I've gained great friendships and through it all, I know that Jesus has never left me alone.

When God looks down on me, He is looking at a beautiful rose that He created.  God sees the whole picture of my life, and He knows what He's doing.  He wants others to come to Him and He uses our trials and tribulations to bring people to Him.  The people who have influenced me the most in my life are the people who understand.  

I want to encourage you.  I want you to know that you're a beautiful rose that God sees.  You may feel like your life is a bunch or twisted thorns that seem unending but through God's eyes, He does see the whole picture.  You're growing into a beautiful rose as you walk through life.  God promises to never leave us.  Not only does He promise us that, but He also died for you so you can have a relationship with Him.  You can cry out to Him directly and He will hear you.  He's there to comfort you no matter what you are going through.  He also understands what you're going through.  While Jesus was on earth He went through much pain and suffering of all kinds.  We can't even imagine what He al went through.  He did it all because He loved us so much.  He will forever walk with us.