Coming to terms with ourselves...

So last night I was lying there contemplating "stuff", 

and the thought of coming to terms with myself came to mind. 

It seems that our whole journey circles around

learning, growing, and sharing, in each event and happening...

but also, coming to terms with ourselves.  

What I mean by this is that life teaches us many things..

but mostly who we are made to be, and how we navigate life.  

We think that all should be perfect and well, 

but the opposite is true most of the time from our perspective.

We can either grow and learn from each event 

and then be used to share our knowledge & have compaasion for others 

coming along on the same path,

or we can become frustrated because life isn't perfect in our eyes...

things just aren't happening the way we planned.

Well, the interesting thing after the thought last night, 

was to read the devotional for today, June 25, from

My Utmost for His Highest.  

(I just love how God "weaves" the fabric of my life...

I love the connectedness in seemingly unconnected things!)

The devotional today was on 

"Receiving Yourself in the Fires of Sorrow"....

and the end point was,  

" If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, 

God will make you nourishment for other people.

Hmmm...nourishment for others...

So, as I attended my 3rd child's college registration, yesterday,

I talked with many mothers...some new to the college experience, and some veterans...

as we sat there, we were all nourishing and being nourished by our time together,

while the "college kids" were off embarking on their plans for their fall adventures!

It was a good day...but there were questions and discoveries that didn't mesh with the way "things should be". 

Now we had a choice...

rest in God's plan and provision and try to remember we can't see the whole picture,

or get upset and fearful about the unknown. Some of us have a hint of sorrow at these types of crossroads, too, and feel anxious or disappointed.

You've heard that  disappointment, and tough times can either make us bitter or better....

But this devotional put it this way,

"Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me."  

That is pretty strong...but seems very true. 

If I can't come to terms with myself over disappointments or sorrow and give it to God, I will see life as one mess or frustration after another.

But, if I can live in reality, 

with hope and knowledge of my loving God, 

He helps me come to terms with disappointment and live the life I was intended to live. 

 Although our life sometimes seems all out of kilter and doesn't make sense, 

God has gone before us and has His purpose in mind.  

He brings us close to Him through it all.

When we see His Truth, we can come to terms with ourselves, 

turning over our life and our loved ones lives to Him 

and rest in His soft and tender-loving care.