In a post you said:" He is our Father and like many children we may not understand why we weren’t allowed something or why something happened to us but we know he is protecting us in the former and teaching us or preparing us to help someone who goes through the same thing in the latter."


Yes this is one of the many reasons for our affliction, to make us more empathetic to others.  We then receive the gift of personal experiences in order to encourage, give hope to those who are also suffering around us. 

In response to do we feel different than before I would have to say that things are ever changing the only exception being God Himself, His Word, and Our Heavenly Spiritual Counselor.  When young I thought of about  what my future life might look like.  In the process I became focused on these thoughts making them an image that gave me my "dreams" as in the "American Dream". 

Now being in my fifties I can tell you that the "dreams" I myself had fabricated obviously didn't not come true.  As I mature each and every day, through constant contact with The Holy Spirit, a clear picture is starting to form.  God's plan was totally different than mine and as I look back I see why.  As the quote above says, the preparations had started.  All that I went through, in the self-centered way, was not a punishment, or a curse or a stroke of bad luck, no it was God's plan for His reasons alone.  Hallelujah!!!

Many of us are suffering right now for various reasons and when in reflection we would like to find justification of why "us".   Instead we should know why us.  I knew why me when my experiences, good and bad, started to impact friends and family members.  God tells us that there is nothing new under the sun, therefore, if we look back we might find how closely knit together we are.  I remember comforting a hurting soul by giving hope that whatever affliction they face it will one day pass from extreme and severe heart-pain to sustainable ache.  I still have reminders of my woes, but with understanding how Our Father is using these woes, they for some reason are easier to bear! 

I believe we went through some decades of relative peace and security in this country and we are now arriving at a period of chaos.  It can be seen all over the world and in most aspects of life.   This would totally explain why we are so anxious, remember when we were young in anticipation of birthday presents we wouldn't be able to fall asleep, our stomach churned...just like now, we know we have arrived to those days spoken of, the end ones. 

A few years not so long ago most of you on 5 Doves knew when my most severe woes began to happened.  I was so scared, husband had left, health was deteriorating, no money, no job...nothing.  I receive such encouragement from a lot of you and I strongly believe that had you not be there for me I would have sunk rapidly.  Today I am still without any income, ready to move with another daughter, health is back up, pain still persistent.  But what really has changed is my faith in the Lord that as His I have to trust and rejoice, even in time of sorrows I have to count them as blessings.  It is those experiences that reveal to us the true nature of Our God.  He has made us strong in character by imparting Himself through the Holy Spirit in us.  Simple truth but most powerful one.  Truly if God is for us who can be against us?  Who? 

Times have changed and logic let us know that we are close to the total end of what we know.  Rejoice be cause it can only mean one thing and that's if we look closely we will see Our Lord approaching right now, when will He takes us up we are not sure.  But as the spring brings the rain, the Father brings us His Son.  The season is here, rejoice even when you don't feel there is nothing to rejoice about the mere fact that you are going through times of trouble knowing God's in control is reason enough.

In His Love.
Bb