Have you asked God to re-gift you?

By joannsblog2016 on October 11, 2018 • ( 2 )

“You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works!” Psalm 139:13-14

Have you re-gifted a gift someone gave you before? You took the gift and wrapped it in the most beautiful paper and placed the best bow you have on it, giving it to your mother-in-law. Couldn’t resist the humor in that but I think just about everyone can say that they have re-gifted a gift. Now hold that thought.

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok on Pexels.com

Have you sat down to pray, totally fell to your knees, and asked God to take away your trials, your suffering, your pain? And as the days go on, it’s all still there. You are still going through the trial, may be, you are still suffering and in pain. What if you flipped the prayer and asked God to walk with you through the trial, lightening the burden of the suffering and the pain?

I want to talk about something that struck me listening to Chrystal Evans Hurst this past weekend at the Women of Joy conference. It so fitting in my life and helps me to place the right perspective and see the process that God is asking me to see.

In Chrystal’s talk, she spoke about the package that God made when He made you and I. He didn’t make the package lacking anything. The package includes your gifts, talents, career, physical features, family, your joy and happiness; and it also includes your trials, suffering and pain. You could not be you if you do not go through the trials that God allows. If you do not go through the trials He allows you may not bring forth the fruition of the gifts that He has given you. All things in our lives are “God given” or “God allowed.” And all things work together for the glory of God, for His purpose. When you ask God to take away the trial, the suffering, the pain, you are asking Him to re-gift the gift He gave you, the package He created and designed – YOU. When you were formed, God wrapped you in a beautiful package and placed the most perfect bow on you that is unique to you and delivered you into the hands of your mom.

Why would we want to change, re-gift His “wonderfully made” package?

I totally understand that sometimes the pain is too much, the trial is a huge burden and drains the life out of you. Sometimes I feel like my trials will never end, they begin to just merge together and I find myself restless, asking God to take it away that I’ve had enough. But then there is the glimmer of hope, my FAITH that jumps in and opens my eyes and shows me that the package is made complete in my trials and through my trials. My trials and my suffering will produce perseverance, they will provide growth within me, they will ultimately flourish the gifts God has given me and ultimately, they will make me stronger for the next trial. God is equipping us in our trials, suffering and pain. I think what He wants from us is to not ask Him to take away the trial, but to ask Him to help us get through it by companioning along the journey with us and by lightening the load by helping us carry the cross that rest upon our shoulder, just as Simon of Cyrene did for Jesus.

Accepting the entire package is difficult. Sometimes I just want to kick and scream but God grabs my hand and tells me “get up and let’s fight this battle together.” You are not alone and He will walk along the journey with you, carrying you when you need to be carried, embracing you when you need to feel loved, lifting the cross so it’s not so heavy when you begin to fall under the weight of it, and providing you rest and protection under His wings when you become weary and afraid.

I want to share this poem I wrote. It is a poem of feeling beaten down, yet hopeful, longing and finding God after a fresh rainfall in a droplet that remained on the tip of a leaf. God refreshes us daily if we open our eyes, ears, minds and heart to His presence in all things surrounding us.