SET UP or SET BACK

Dear Reader, 

WOW! It has been one month since my last blog. Time surely does fly and a lot happens in a month.  So this past month, I went from living in a cute apartment with my beautiful bride to living with my in-laws to save and get a house in the next two years or so. That's the plan at least. 

On top of that, I also found myself at a new job. This is going to be fun. 

You know sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives not because He's a mean god, but because He loves us.  Allow me to explain...

I have learned over the years that situations can either be your downfall/crutch or it can be your stepping stone/freedom. What makes the greatest difference is our outlook on the very situation that we are having. 

Let me use my recent loss of a job that I thought was going to be a career as my example. I did speak on it a couple blogs ago. It's called "In Who Do We Trust".  You see, when this sudden change happened I could have sat in my despair. I could have used this situation as my setback. I didn't know how I was going to provide for my family. I didn't know how I could possibly get out of debt, save for my own house, and so on. 

This setback, had I chosen to sit in the despair, would have destroyed me and my relationship. How? I'm sure some of you are thinking. Well if I had chosen to allow this situation to set me back. I wouldn't be the husband I vowed to be. I wouldn't be the man of God I claimed to be. I would have been overcome by guilt, shame, and complete defeat.  

I chose though to use my situation as a setup for God to use me, work in me, and bless me. I chose to see God through all of this. Now, because of all this, I have been able to work on other things with my time. I have been able to become stronger. "I lean not on my own understanding..." 

During this setup time, I feel closer to God. I feel there is so much more to do. 

Allow God to use your setback as your setup. You may not know all things, or what the plans are but the word of God is clear...God is for you and me. He loves us so much that He refuses to leave us the same. He accepts us where we are at, but He loves us too much to leave us there.  

What are you going to do when your storm comes? Use it as a setback or as a divine setup?  

Food for thought: 

"Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled on me; All day long the adversary oppresses and torments me...Read the whole chapter here.

    Osbert Maldonado