November

Guys, I keep starting all these blog posts and then not posting them at all. 

It's another absolutely beautiful rainy day here in Iowa City. I LOVE rain so much. Or maybe I love everything that comes with rainy days like hot coffees, soups, bread, blankets, warm fuzzies... all that cozy love and warmth stuff. You don't need anybody to help you enjoy a rainy day, you can read or spend time with the Lord or something introverted like that. 

I'm not an introvert, but rain inspires some introverted enjoyments sometimes. 

I saw a meme on facebook this morning that said, "November: that time of year where the people who have been complaining on facebook the last 11 months are thankful for 30 days." Haha. I love that. Because it's true. I mean, I hate that it's true, but it's funny that someone made a joke of it. 

Just because there is one designated day of the year for being thankful doesn't give us an excuse for complaining the other 364 days of the year. If you have anything to be thankful for on the day of Thanksgiving than you have nothing to complain about at all. 

I'm thankful for rain. Lots of people can complain and say that rain = crappy weather, but it's beautiful to me. Same with life trials. I mean, those are awful, but they're beautiful. 

Lots of people think that "bad" things that happen are horrible and the absolute worst. I mean, even I have a terrible attitude about trials and difficulties. I'm the worst complainer about those things. But God sees them as beautiful because it is out of the brokenness of our lives that grow the sweetest fruits. 
That is, as long as you don't let yourself become bitter about them. 

A year ago I was still swimming in the mire of a broken life and I had nothing to offer any body and I cried every day and every night and all the time. But it was beautiful because every true word spoken to me touched me in the deepest places and God's love soothed in the best way and music brought peace and my heart felt everything. Apathy was not an option because the pain in my heart reminded me that life was real and feelings were real. 

I miss that sometimes. Feeling in the deepest places. I'm not broken that deeply at this point of my life any more. But, my goodness, I wouldn't have traded what happened to cause so much pain for a thousand of my own dreams and desires coming true. I have been blessed twice over and then some. My joy is more than complete, it is too much for my heart most of the time. God has blessed me with the richest life and best relationships and a ministry that needs me. 

Life is not promised to be easy. The Christian life is not promised to be bliss. But you wouldn't want it to be. Without rain, nothing would ever grow. The sunshine wouldn't seem as warm, the hot coffee wouldn't be as pleasant, the blankets wouldn't be as comforting. Rain is the best. And because of it, you can enjoy your blankets in the summer time too. 

My parents and three of my little siblings came into town to visit me this past weekend. They got to come to church with me and meet some of my friends. I was blessed to have so many of my friends want to come and meet my family and my little brother started counting how many friends I had. 

I didn't even feel like half my friends had gotten to meet my family when my little brother informed me he was up to 15 friends that I had. What? 15?? Last year I would have said that I had maybe 5 or 10 friends at most. :) I am blessed. I am overwhelmingly blessed.