Guest Speaker Friday

So in the back of my mind, I wondered what I would do if I didn't have a featured biography. Well, I thought that I would write articles of Lyme Disease or something of the sort. Then it struck me. I could have Guest Speakers. If any of you has an "article" or something you've written on your blog that might be appropriate for this one, let me know if I can use it for the blog. Of course I would give you credit and link it back to your blog. If you have a biography on Praying for Lymies, I would also link to that as well. So here is our very first ... Guest Speaker.

Renee has become a very close Lyme friend of mine. Renee has not been a featured Lymie on the blog yet (hint hint Renee), but she has become one of my first supporters of not only Praying for Lymies, but prior to that my personal Blog Living the Lyme Life.

She posted an "article" she had written on her blog last year and it was posted on September 27th 2008. Here it is in it's entirety. I "broke it up" in order to be easier on the eyes. Hope you enjoy this article on "Ask, Seek and Knock."

By Renee of Renee's Reflections "Ask, Seek and Knock."

Matthew 6: 7 “Ask and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Are there times in your life when you question God? Have you ever questioned His plan for your life? Have you wondered if He has abandoned you, or turned His back on you while He allowed Satan to “sift you like wheat”? Do you find yourself asking Him “why” or “how” or “when”? If you have, you are certainly not alone.

In the past I have questioned God’s plan for my life and my husband's . I have gone before Him with a multitude of emotions, often questioning the purpose behind all the ups and downs that have challenged us both. I must admit that at times I have felt ignored, forgotten, “toyed with”, and even abandoned by my Heavenly Father. I have cried out to God~ " Why.....? When...........? How.........?"

There seems to be a process we go through during certain trials in our lives, and during these times of discouragement we often ask God the why, how, and when questions. I believe this is truly okay with Him ~ we can trust God 100% with all our emotions, our “real selves” as Marilyn Meberg says in her Women of Faith conferences. God can handle anything that comes from deep within us. He loves us unconditionally.

When we move on in this process, we begin to seek out answers to our questions in the Bible, Christian literature, prayer, and the words of others. In the Bible God speaks often on how much He loves us. He tells us He is with us always and that He will NOT abandon us. We can find these promises over and over again throughout the scriptures. In seeking answers, we are able to find comfort and assurance of His presence in our lives, and the fulfillment of His promises.

Eventually we come full circle as we knock on God’s door and open our repentant hearts to His plan, TRUSTING HIM, even when we don’t understand our circumstances. TRUSTING HIM even when we don’t get all the answers to our questions. He provides the strength we need during these times, and often it is gift wrapped with joy when we look at the blessings that come from our difficult circumstances.

In the past year this process has been repeated in my life, and God has always been patient as He listened to my questions and my despair. It is during these times that my faith has been stretched and challenged…during these times that I began the process of seeking. As I search for answers in His Word or my favorite Christian writings, I am able to look back at other times I have been going through this process and see the answers that eventually came.

My written remarks in my Bible and books have helped me to find peace in my circumstances. Of course there are also times that the answers I was seeking did not come, but I have felt God’s presence as He answered my “asking, seeking, and knocking” and I trusted in His plan for our life. When life seems to be one struggle after another, we are still able to find peace, joy, and hope. We find peace in knowing God loves us and wants what is best for us.

We can believe that He is in control of today and all our tomorrows. We find joy in the blessings we discover in the midst of difficult circumstances. And we live by hope~ hope in the knowledge that God loves us and walks with us on every step of our journey. We find hope in the knowledge of the perfect life that awaits us in eternity. One of my favorite Bible verses gives me hope that I hang on to when life is difficult.

We hear God’s promises for all of us in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Verse 12 and 13 go on to say, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart.”

When life gets tough, and you begin to ask, seek, and knock, remember God’s promises. Find strength and hope in how much He loves and cares for you, and take comfort in the beautiful plan He has for your life here on earth and more importantly, in eternity.

Posted by Renee