katHi, I haven’t written in a little while! Life is so fast-paced nowadays between church, bible studies, work, and personal life stuff. However, I praise the Lord for it all. I am grateful to have friends I can do bible studies with and share the love of Jesus Christ.
This week I want to inscribe in history the beautiful working of the Lord in my life. God is good, all the time. My high school teacher said that to me once, but I’d never heard that phrase before. Before I became a believer of Jesus Christ, I wondered if that was true. How is it possible that God is good all the time? How can people proclaim that, especially when they’re going through incredibly difficult situations?
In all honesty, this week was quite a rough week for me.
Thirty minutes into a walk with my mom and my dogs at the park, we neared our cars again. You see, we’d both taken separate cars to our nearby neighborhood park. She’d driven to the park from her job and I decided to join her. As I approached my car, I noticed the window was open and not only was it open but the entire window was broken and the shattered pieces lay on my driver’s seat.
I wasn’t that surprised given that we see window shards in the parking lot every week at my neighborhood park. I just didn’t think it’d happen to me at all, nonetheless on this day. Then I asked my mom if her window had been broken and at first she said no, but on closer inspection she realized it was broken! Not only that but the car next to hers also had a broken window! Triple whammy!
Thankfully, the person who robbed us only took a few of my clothes that were in a backpack found in my trunk. I had church shoes in my car but they didn’t take them, hallelujah! I guess my church shoes and some of my clothes weren’t quite to their taste, huh? Add insult to injury lol. Anyway, we called the cops and filed a report. I was so grateful because my mom called my uncle and he helped us find really cheap used windows in the city, and even came over to our house later that evening to install them for us! The Lord always provides by sending people to help us in times of need.
My mom was fuming and was so upset. She kept slandering the person as we drove to pick up the replacement window. She acknowledged she should love this person and forgive them but how she was struggling to do as Christ calls us to do. I totally understood her but the reason why I wasn’t as frazzled as her was because I had seen a sign from God shortly after I saw my broken car window. Then, He told me everything was going to be ok, that’s why I wasn’t freaking out though admittingly I usually would.
Thankfully it was all quickly resolved. I feel sad for the person who felt it necessary to steal from our cars. Maybe they get an adrenaline rush from breaking car windows since they do it so often. However, I know deep down they are unhappy and their spirit is suffering and struggling; so I pray the Lord touches their heart. They also took my church notebook with all my Sunday notes. I hope they read it and find solace in the Lord’s words. But even if they threw my notebook away without realizing the value of the words in it- I pray the Lord touches their heart one day and saves them.
Then Wednesday came around and I began feeling incredibly ill. That night I felt the worst body aches I’ve ever felt to the point I could feel it in my bones. I also experienced fever, chills, and had trouble sleeping. I spent the next day mostly bedridden; it felt like a truck had run over me. Now it’s Friday and I feel much better but still a little fatigued and struggling to get rid of my sore throat and cough.
There were so many things on my to-do list that got pushed back, but quite frankly I’m thankful I got sick because I’ve been able to stop, reflect, and rest. With my fast paced lifestyle it’s not always something I get to do, but I know I should do more of it. I recognize the Lord is so kind he truly helped me so much this week and has always been with me and my family.
On our way to Pasadena to pick up my replacement window we passed by places my family and I used to frequent in my childhood. We passed by our old neighborhood, close to our old home. We passed by my elementary school, the one my grandma used to walk me to, where I still vividly remember making these cute little square artworks that now surround the playground. My sister found mine, a simple footprint with my name under it, and sent it to me the other day. I see it as a prophecy over my life; after I’m long gone my faith will leave a footprint on this world. We also passed by my sister’s old elementary school.
When we reached a particular street near Sycamore Grounds- if you know anything about the area it definitely gives like a farm, outskirt kinda vibe- my mother pointed out the specific crossing where my grandfather, who used to to work at a private trash pickup company, was involved in a crash with a school bus. He failed to break in time but no one was hurt. My mother continued, “A cop came but told him [my grandpa], “You should leave. Just go, my buddy will come soon but I’ll tell him you ran away. So he listened to the cop and walked back home, then shortly after a white lady came out of nowhere and offered him a ride home!”
“Wow, that’s so lucky, but you know what? It wasn’t luck, it was God!” I proclaimed.
I sat there feeling God’s grace-knowing that he worked through that cop to let my grandpa come home that day and He did it because my grandpa loved Him. My grandpa learned how to read and write with the Bible. Not only did I realize He saved my grandpa from potential deportation for his sake, but also for my sake. Yes, God did it for me! So this story may be told and I’d remember it for the rest of my days. He chose my family and He chose me!
So then with that story in my heart I’ve moved forward this week. Things may go wrong in my life; tragedy and difficulty may strike-but I’ve been through worse so a small car break-in can’t and won’t break me anymore.
I recognize the Lord is good all the time. Even when things don’t go as expected. Bad things don’t happen because the Lord is doing it. Bad things happen to good people because we live in a broken world. If I blamed every bad thing that happened to me on the Lord and wondered, “Why didn’t he protect me?” I’d be foolish. I would be ignoring the fact that human beings have freewill. When bad things do happen to believers, the Lord always saves us and helps us. It’s because the Lord is by our side; he’s not on anyone else’s side but on the side of the righteous.
When I’m going through difficulty and feel like everything’s going wrong, or the world is against me I think, “If Satan’s trying to attack me this much, then I must be doing something right!”
As long as I’m right with the Lord, I’m fine with going through any trials. I watched my grandma gradually pass away over months and weeks. I’ve battled depression, anxiety, among other difficulties. I’ve also read Job’s story. Above all, I know Jesus and how he turned a war into a battle for love and peace. So through my life’s battles too, I know I can do the same.
Since I have the Lord and he is by my side- what do I have to fear?
If you’ve been feeling lonely, forgotten by the Lord, or unseen I challenge you to try to see the positive through it. You might just find your struggles help you grow closer to God, refine your character, and that they prove God is good. Listen to “God is Good” by Jonathan McReynolds.
Until next time my friends and with love,
Kat.
