Encouragement

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Can Life Be Sweet?
©

by

Stephen A. Peterson


It was a cold November afternoon in Shawnee, Oklahoma when Dakota, a 16-year-old high school sophomore, came home from school. As soon as she entered the house her mother cheerfully asked her daughter how her day went. Immediately, Dakota responded, “Mom, I’m failing algebra and American history, Mario broke up with me when I thought we really loved each other, my best friend, Renee, dad got a new job in Chicago so they’re moving up there after Christmas, and I somehow lost $25.00 that I had been saving to buy Christmas presents with. I’ve just had a horrible last couple days, mom. What are doing, mom?”

“I’ve just finished baking an angel food cake. Would you like to have a piece? Maybe this will make you feel a little better.”

“Yes, mom! You make the best cake around!”

“While the cake is cooling off, would you like to have some baking powder to eat?”

“Oh, no! That stuff tastes really nasty! Yuck!”

“Or how ‘bout some flour and unbeaten, raw egg whites?”

“Gosh, no, mom! Those things really taste bad! In fact, I’d feel really sick if I had to eat them by themselves.”

“But Dakota, when these things are put together in the right amounts and baked then I made a cake that you agree tastes pretty good. Well, Dakota, God works in the same way. God allows us to go through difficult often-bad periods or times. God knows what you can endure. He wants you to trust Him that He knows exactly what He is doing. I’m sure God has something wonderful, perhaps special for you! I’m sure that when I mix these ingredients according to my recipe my cakes will be delicious. The recipe, in this instance, is just like a plan. Now, what if I did not put this cake in the oven where it is hot?”

“Mom, your cake would smell and taste terrible!”

“Well, God is putting a little heat in your life. When He is finished, you will find that something wonderful will come of this difficult time for you.”

Dakota’s mom is absolutely right! God is madly in love with humankind and especially those whom He has chosen who follow His ways. When Jesus came to earth to live among us, He suffered rejection, misunderstanding, hunger, poverty, pain, suffering. May it be said that the Father disliked the Son because He suffered so much? Yet many so many people, including Christians, on the other hand, listen to those who reject God, His love and the example of His life on earth because of hardships and difficulties. These persons even get Christians to buy into the belief that God does not exist or that God is powerless to do anything to help us. Many of these same people stop worshipping God, stop going to church, ceased to pray and even refer to life on earth as “hell”. These same critics never consider the hundreds of good things God has showered them with on a daily basis for which they never thank God. Are you too ungrateful?

Now take a moment and write down 12 things you could and should be thankful to God for:

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Now if you had a hard time coming up with 12 things you can be grateful for, consider these—your health—your life—your sight—your hearing—your speech—someplace to sleep—enough to eat—clothes to wear—your ability to breathe—your ability to feed yourself—your ability to tie your shoes—your ability to think—your ability to remember—the friends you have—water to drink. There are more if you think about it! Now think about it if you could not or did not have some of the above things or abilities? They all come from God and more!

It is hope your day is a tasteful, sweeter day as this day was made by the Lord, Be exceedingly happy in it no matter the circumstance, as the Lord loves you!!!!

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