Does God Test Us?
We have a very special guest contributor with us today. I have had the privilege of knowing Gregory Thompson for the past 17 years. We have been through it all together, although not side-by-side due to the distance in miles, but always heart-to-heart.
I tease Greg by saying that he is my little Indian boy, as he is part Native American. He was raised with his mother’s strong Native beliefs and fully embraces it. He is also in the medical field, as you will see from his writings below.
It is an honor to share his beautiful musings with the world.
Life is full of pot holes along the path. My own life experiences are what make me the person I am today: from a near fatal car accident, to experimental brain surgery, to a stroke.
The good things about seeing patients that I work with is that I get to witness their healing and walking — not being wheeled, but walking — out of the hospital. I also have the joy of seeing the faces of the children no matter what their diagnosis may be.
Could all of these be God’s intervention … or could it be just God’s creation?
We all have a free will to make choices to do the right thing … or not to. We are allowed to make those choices. We all have the guidelines of what we have to do to be a good person. My choices have always been to try to do anything I could do to take the pain or fear away from the patients that I have the honor to serve as part of their treatment team. Was it God’s intervention in my life to turn me away from a career in Marine Biology to a career in Respiratory Therapy and furthering on to Nurse Practitioner? Some may say yes, while others may say no and reason that it was simply what my interest evolved into. For me, though, I think that in some way, somehow, I was given the desire to help and heal. I can’t say that it was God … but I do feel that I want to make God proud and happy that I am utilizing the talent and putting the education to a good use and most certainly not to take advantage of it to only further my own self instead. I want to take the pain away and help bring them peace.
There are people that come into our lives that do that very same thing for us.
They may not even be doctors or nurses. They may be an accountant, a homemaker, or even a police officer. These people come into your life and bring such joy and peace. They make you want to be a better person, perhaps of the internal guilt you may feel for not always being the person you should be.
Is this God sending an angel to help guide you?
We have all of these questions with as many answers as there are stars in the sky.
I don’t feel that God tests us. That would imply a level of un-trust on the part of the Almighty. That’s not the Omnipotent Being that I envision! God, the Great Spirit, Allah, Buddha, call him (or her) what you wish. I just know that the Almighty is not there to manipulate our lives but to provide strength when we are at our weakest. In my opinion, God is there to pass that strength on when those around us, those we love most, are at their weakest.
During my recovery from the brain surgery, there was one person that gave me the strength – the will – to recover. That same person gave me all of the strength that she had while I worked my way back to some semblance of normalcy after my stroke. This person never asked for anything, never expected a “thank you” … she just poured encouragement and support into my recovering body. It was this person that, to me, enabled me to recover.
So, I’ll ask …
Does God, the Almighty test us?
OR
Does He see the trials that we encounter and provide His angels to lend us strength and guidance?
Personally, I feel that He sent an angel to me. I only hope that as I progress down my path in life that I can prove to be worthy of the love, support, and encouragement that I have received from my angel.
You’re Not Broken. You’re Beautiful!
One of my most favorite things to do is take a stroll on the beach. When the weight of the world feels like it is on my shoulders, a quick escape to the sandy shores will sweep it all away. Just as the tide rushes in and brings new treasures with it in the form of seashells and sea creatures, the pull of the ocean takes things from the shore just as quickly as it was deposited mere seconds ago. It also does the same with me, only it restores my soul, revitalizes right to the core of my being, and refreshes my spirit.
The beach is no place for worries or concerns. Stress cannot exist with the rolling of the tide and crashing of the waves. Those sounds are far too soothing to provoke anything but relaxation and rejuvenation.
We cannot help but look down at our feet as we walk along the shore, but not at the sand between our toes. With our heads bowed, we search for those treasures beneath us and all around us … seashells.
If you’re lucky, you will come across a perfectly in-tact beauty of a shell. It may even look as if it is flawless. But you’ll never know the journey of that one little shell and things that threatened it along the way. Just because it appears perfect does not mean that it did not struggle.
The majority of the time, though, you’ll encounter broken shells along the shores. Some shells look as if they have been crushed beneath someone’s feet, and they probably have. There are some people that don’t find joy in searching for shells as I do, and that’s okay. But, I wish they’d preserve them for those of us that do go there sometimes for that very reason, to look for those precious treasures that have washed ashore.
Some may reach down to pick up a shell that looks near perfect as it’s laying there in the sand only to find that it is broken and worn underneath. Most would toss it aside without giving it another thought. Not I. I hold it in my hand, grasp it between my fingers and feel the different textures of the shell. I examine the color, the shape, and imagine what it would have looked like if it hadn’t been beaten, broken, and parts shattered along the way.
We feel like those shells at times in our lives, don’t we? We feel that as broken as we are, with what we’ve gone through in life, that no one would ever want us. We fear that we’ll be tossed aside, disregarded, and sometimes as if we have no true value in the eyes of others.
Hear me now, friends. You’re not broken … you’re beautiful!
I’m not just talking about your outer appearance. It’s your true beauty that shines, and it comes from inside. It comes from your heart and soul. It reflects in all the different, special ways that you care for others.
I see you over there: nurturing, caring, and loving … doing everything within your power to help another soul. I see you struggling and yet pushing your cares aside to put others first.
I see your true beauty reflected on your face as you cast a warm smile at a little child as you take the time to hear them … truly listening to them and making them feel like they matter, too! Because they do! Just like you!
I see you encouraging others when you need encouragement yourself. I see you going out of your way to offer support in whatever way you can to those who are hurting, sick, feeling lonely, and lost in life.
We all face things in this life. I doubt that there is one person that will escape the feelings of being beaten, broken, and shattered at some point in their lifetime. Bad things happen to good people. We aren’t sure why, and it’s not for us to know. One day when you meet your Maker, you can ask Him yourself why you had to struggle so much. I know that His ways are not our ways, and while we can’t see the path ahead of us, He can. I know He loves us with a love that is so hard to understand. Unconditional love. Rarely do people love with an unconditional love, but He does … and always will.
I’ll admit that there have been times in my life that I’ve felt like the broken shell. I’ve experienced great heartache and pain in my lifetime. I realize that what I’ve experienced has molded me into the person that I am today. It’s been a painful process at times, but I’m still here and thanking God for the gift of another day.
There’s others that have endured life altering things on their path as well. They’ve endured unspeakable things that threatened to claim their lives. They’ve struggled and wondered if they would ever be whole again.
There are several people in my life that immediately come to mind as I sit here writing this out. They are very near and dear to my heart, and they have gone through completely devastating things in their lives. They have felt just like this shell, too!
They’ve wondered if they have any value left due to what they’ve been through in this life.
They wonder if anyone would ever want them with their broken pieces and shattered lives.
I’m here to tell you that I do!
I admire your strength and the way you’ve continued to fight. I applaud even your smallest achievements along the way.
Although you may feel like it, you’re not broken, sweetie. You’re beautiful!
It has taken such courage and strength. You’ve fought so hard for so long to keep from being completely crushed by the pounding surf. You’ve felt frightened and alone at times even. But the beauty comes from watching you overcome! You’re still out there on the sandy shores displaying your beauty … just like the little shells.
You’re not broken.
You’re beautiful!
Friend – Five Minute Friday
Today’s prompt word for Five Minute Friday is: Friend!
I love when Fridays roll around as it’s an opportunity to see what goodies Lisa Jo has in store for us to write about this time. It’s writing with no regard to mistakes. No editing allowed. Just write for five whole minutes. The most important thing is to get those words out!
Ready?
Set?
GO!
Friend
Do you have that one friend in your life that no matter how long it has been since you’ve seen each other, it’s like no time has passed at all when you ARE together again?
I do!
It’s been almost ten years since we’ve seen each other face-to-face. Ten LONG years.
We’ve talked on the phone, sent messages, and all of that good stuff. Nothing could ever come close to actually being in front of them, though, looking into their eyes. Talking to them, watching their every move as they talked almost nonstop, but my not minding at all because we were there … together … within arm’s length so I could just reach out and hug at any given moment, and they wouldn’t mind. They would welcome it, appreciate it, and bask in the moment with me.
This is a very special friendship that has stood the test of time. Sure, there have been bumps along the way, there have been times we did not see eye-to-eye. We are different people from different walks of life, but when we come together, it is truly a beautiful thing. I appreciate, value, and respect our differences. It makes us who we are! And I would not change a single thing.
And so, after ten very long years, we have been reunited. We hugged, we cried, we held each other tight for an extremely long time when we saw each other after all of these years. It was very sweet, much needed, and soothing for the soul.
My best friend.
My forever friend.
My heart connected friend.
My I-love-you-to-the-end-of-time-and-beyond friend.
STOP!
