ptl@fluke.UUCP (Mike Andrews) (10/03/85)
Hi,
One thing most noticeable on peoples minds lately is `Why doesn't
God take care of ___ if He is so good?' This is a question He and
I have had some bad fights about lately; I fought, He listened.
Sometimes I find myself yelling at God, telling Him that
He needs to make someone, like my wife for instance, do something
better. But He won't fix it. People starve to death in Africa, but
God won't bless them with rain. God lets good people die horrible deaths,
like my friend Larry with cancer a few months ago.
Something someone once told me is just now beginning to take hold -
God won't do for us what He has already given us the Gifts to
do ourselves. With this He has shown me just how powerful the Gift
of free will is. He's shown me that instead of me concentrating on
changing my wife, He wants me to change myself. So while trying
to change myself I get frustrated because I can't do it myself.
From this He wants me to choose to give up my vain pride. He won't
take it away, I have to choose to give it to Him. In my case repeatedly.
I'm finding a new peace with my wife and my relationship with God.
Please keep us in your prayers. The people in Africa - God has
given me a mind and body to get a job with, and money from that
job that can be given to relief agencies, missionaries, and others
working with the poor, homeless, sick. He's given me knees to get down
on and pray for them. But why do I have to pray, I find myself asking.
Lately I've been impressed with the fact that prayer opens a channel
between me and God for His Grace to flow through. Prayer shows me in a
humbling way that I need God. He already knows that. And with Larry,
God has shown me how weak I am, and how much faith He wants me to have.
My faith and trust in God has grown, as has my belief that Larry is
happy in Heaven.
One more thing - a friend of mine told me how he wants to teach his 1-1/2
or two year old son to do things, like walk up stairs. He mentioned that
one time after he and his family had been out, as they were walking up the
stairs, his son was so tired that he just looked at his dad and raised his
arms to be carried up this time. His dad picked him up. God did that
with me. So I also learned that God will even help us when He's given us
the Gifts to do it ourselves.
God Bless,
Mike Andrews
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God said He would never leave me nor forsake me, and that I am His temple.
A man is what he thinks.
A body led by the soul is only 2/3 of a person : the soul tries to get rid of
the spirit.
A body led by the spirit is a whole person : the spirit works to make the soul
help the body. And a spirit led by God the Holy Spirit is invincible.
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ARPA : fluke!ptl@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP : {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!ptl