Gratitude during trials...

Today I am grateful for my Bible and for free access to exercises that help to balance me. It has been such an upsetting day as I have had to call several creditors to tell them I lost my job and have run out of money to pay them. While I totally believe that God has a plan for me and I just have to trust Him to show me the way to get through this, I keep reminding myself what it says in James 1:2-7

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

So these trials are showing me where I am weak in my faith because if I were stronger I would not be as upset and would be viewing my situation as God is. Obviously, I am viewing my situation through my human eyes. And I am also impatient. This one is easier for me to address because I was ready to work over a month ago –when it was much less painful financially, since friends and other random sources of income covered the main bills I needed to pay. But this is kind of the beauty of my pain today. If I had been hired a month ago, I would not be in the spot I am in today, going through this test of faith, and this would not be an opportunity for me to grow in this area. So the main message I am getting here is that God wants me to grow in faith and patience so I can be more pleasing to Him. How can I argue (in my mind) with what God is doing for me for my benefit? I believe this is an example of looking at my situation through God’s eyes and not my own. And that is the wisdom I seek. But it doesn’t come without a price or trial.

So while these thoughts are flying around in my mind, I was also able to shift my energy physically with my online exercises (currently Yogadownload.com and New York City Ballet Workouts on YouTube) and let all that negative energy flow through me instead of getting stuck inside of me. I followed this with putting Young Living essential oils in my diffuser and re-reading James 1 and I feel like a totally different person –in the best way!

So today I am grateful for having access to God, online exercises that heal me, and natural products like essential oils that help to lift my mood and improve my thinking.