Seeing the Good in the Not So Good

I have been wanting to put a new post up for a few days now. However, other things took priority in my life for a little while. School work, my job, family time and keeping important relationships from a distance all got in the way of me putting up a new post. Even through the busyness, I was still able to find time to spend with my Heavenly Father. In fact, that has been my priority over every thing else.

These past few weeks (nearly a month now… woah!) I have found myself alone more than I ever have before. And by this, I mean physically alone. I know I’m not spiritually alone. I’ve never been one to enjoy being alone, and that’s no secret. I’ve had several family members and friends concerned about me because they know I don’t like being alone. These past few weeks have been life changing for me. Someone that used to hate being alone, now LOVES to be alone. No, I’m not depressed. No, I’m not turning into an introvert (you guys can’t get that lucky… I’m still going to squeeze everyone I know tightly with the biggest bear hug possible when I get out of this place). The reason why I’ve grown so much in love with being alone is because I’ve grown back in love with being alone with my Heavenly Father. He is my safe place! God has changed my heart so much that he put the desire back into my heart just to be with him and be satisfied in his presence.

I’ve had a lot of quality time with my Heavenly Father recently and he keeps reminding me to always looks for the good in the not so good. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” It doesn’t just say some things. It says ALL things. All things mean the good, the bad and the ugly. Have you ever felt like something was so hopeless that there was nothing that could be done to make it good? I have! But time and time again I see God make those things work together for my good. What is good? I think only God knows what is truly good. What we might think is good, God might think otherwise. What we might think is bad, God might think it is good for us. I don’t always enjoy vegetables, but they are still good for me. What I might think is bad (certain vegetables), God actually created for my good.

Several years ago I was diagnosed with a disease that would cost me my vision. My eye doctor (which I love dearly by the way…. she is such an amazing women of God) told me the chances of me going blind were pretty likely. I was distraught. I still remember that day very clearly. I had called my mentor right after my doctor appointment but wasn’t able to reach her. In tears…. I shouted “GOD I TRUST YOU.”

I went back to work for the rest of the day and then I knew exactly what I needed to do. I needed to go to the gym and play basketball by myself. I know that may seem weird to some. Basketball has always been my safe place since I was a young child. Some go hiking, some play guitar, I play basketball. It’s where I do my thinking and my best praying. I remember sitting in the gym shooting hoops and I just closed my eyes. I said “God if you want me to go blind, I will still worship you because you are good.” Then I started to play basketball with my eyes closed relying fully on God so that I wouldn’t fall. God reminded me that he will never let me fall.

About that time, my mentor called me back. I still remember that conversation so clearly. I told her where I was and told her what my doctor had said. At this point I hadn’t even told my family yet. I was scared. My mentor told me that we were going to pray and believe that God is going to heal me. She said we are going to pray that God wouldn’t just heal me 100% but he would heal me more than 100%.

After that, I began a new life. This new life consisted of eating fish for almost every meal (I’m still tired of eating fish) and going to the doctor frequently so that they could keep an eye on my vision. I did a field test and had lost all of my peripheral vision. This all started in May. After an entire summer of praying, seeking God and eating fish, I had another test. My doctor called me after that test and said “Melissa, your vision is better now than it was before all of this started. You don’t need to worry anymore.” In tears I responded, “God healed me.” I still have to wear glasses, but that’s okay. I kind of like the style of glasses anyways. God wanted me to fix my eyes back on him. He wanted to change my heart. He wanted me to see how good he really is. ALL things work together for the good of those who love God.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible comes from the book of John when Jesus healed the blind man. When Jesus was walking past the blind man his disciples asked “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:2-3. That day Jesus sought this man out and healed him. When no one else was there for him, Jesus was there for him. That day, the works of God were displayed. When we walk through trying times, ask God what it is he is trying to say. He may be trying to speak to you. He may be trying to speak to someone else.

What the enemy means for evil, God turns it around and makes it for our good. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, the enemy meant it for evil. For three days death won, but when Jesus rose from the dead on that third day, death was defeated. What the enemy meant for evil, God meant it for our good. Jesus had to die so that we could live eternally with the Father. We were separated from the Father but Jesus gave up his own life so that we could be united with the Father. That, my friends, is the greatest victory of all! There is hope for us all knowing that God is in control. He is in control of every situation and he will never let us fail. And if we do fall down, he will be right there to pick us back up again.