Life's Ultimate Ups and Downs!
A dear friend of mine wrote on her blog about a topic that many of us can relate to... a whirlwind life of constant ups and downs... and of good times and bad! I think that many of us agree that sometimes we are dealt our fair share of bad hands and that difficult times seem to multiply. But then there are times that things are just so amazing and we are on top of the world. I honestly believe that God doesn't give us more than we can handle... even though sometimes it seems that it might be. It is in those difficult times that he uses our story for something greater... something that's larger than us and larger than we can even comprehend.
Somehow I heard a story that really stuck with me... it may be an email, a post, something... and I may even get the story a bit wrong... but regardless it shares the same message...
Speaker... "I never thought this day would come!" (pure excitement)
Friend... "God answers our prayers!"
Speaker... "But I wasn't praying."
Friend... "Yes, but someone was!"
My sweet friend is right. Sometimes I think we just need to be reminded of all those prayers that God has answered. Moments that have been given to us. Things that we are so undeserving of... Things that truly make us happy... b/c it is our stories that are used for something that is greater and larger than we can ever imagine.
- I think one of the most incredible moments that sticks in my head was a moment that honestly should have killed us... but we walked away without a scratch. On a trip home to Houston, my husband and I were nearly 45 minutes from my parents house. It had rained all day and the roads were extremely slick. I remember talking to Ray and laughing. As we came over a hill on the freeway, I glanced over to see a water cooler truck inches away from my husband's window. Obviously he didn't see us. I yelled to my husband in fear we were about to be hit. Ray swerved and barely missed the SUV in the next lane. Both the truck and Ray over corrected and instantly we were in a slide... on the bridge... on the freeway. We swerved back and forth... then in a full 360 degree circle crossing about 4 lanes of traffic... again all on a bridge. I remember screaming after the second swerve as I watched my husband quickly try to gain control of the car. It was so surreal. All he said was "I got it and I love you!" At the end of what seemed like 10 minutes when in reality this probably all happened in less than 30 seconds... we swerved into the right lane, spun in a circle across 4 lanes, and ended up on the shoulder of the furthest left lane facing the wrong direction and inches away from the concrete barrier. No cars were on the road except for us and the water cooler truck even though moments before the road had been packed. We were unharmed. No car had been hit. No one was injured. This had been a miracle. God's hand is on us every day, guiding us, protecting us, and using our stories for something greater. I only hope that in those difficult times that I remember what he has done for me and all that I may be able to do for someone else.
What makes you happy? What are your stories?
I found this picture on a blog and thought it was such a wonderful representation with such amazing simplicity with such an essential concept.
Love,
Alicia
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