God Is Able

I just read an amazing book "God Is Able" by Priscilla Shirer. I ordered it in the mail earlier this week and it came yesterday. The second I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. As in: I almost skipped dinner to keep reading it, but instead I stayed up 2+ hours past by bedtime, just so I could finish it.

The book is based on Ephesians 3:20-21.

Read it again. 

Now read it slowly.

Let it sink in.

(Its okay, I had to read it a few times too.)

God Is Able.

I wish I could buy a copy of the book for everyone I know. The least I can do is share some of my thoughts here.

We all have an IT thing in our life. An IT that we don't think we can get past. An IT we think we can never heal from. Each one of us has an IT. I started the book because I have a huge IT right now and I can't see how to fix it. I decided to write a list of my IT's. I was too scared to write the big one down first, so I started with a few others. 

I have a lot of IT's. Once I started writing them down, I couldn't stop. I then spent the rest of the book realizing that my IT's are nothing compared to my GOD. God who is all powerful. God who is all knowing. God who is always faithful. God who goes exceedingly, abundantly, above all!

Exceedingly, abundantly, above all. I loved how Priscilla Shirer said God goes beyond beyondness. What you hope for, God can do even more so, far than you or I could ever imagine. 

But I also noticed that the scripture doesn't say immediately. Sometimes, it takes time. Sometimes, He has a big plan in place and you can't see it yet. But don't stop waiting patiently on God. He is always at work. He created the galaxies, your problems are nothing to Him.

I couldn't help but think about a few of my recent blessings from God. Last fall, while walking with a friend, we found a kitten. I immediately picked him up and within seconds I had named him Blue. We had been content with just Zipper & Gaby, but immediately Blue became a part of the family. 

Six short months later Zipper passed away. I was heartbroken. But as I was praying last night, it all clicked together. Right after we found Blue, Zipper started to get sick. I took him to one vet, but they brushed it off. A few months later, I took him to another vet and that is when we learned his time was short.

When I found Blue, I had not idea how much I would need him. But God did. God knew I was going to have to say goodbye to Zipper and that my heart would break. In His loving care, He gave me Blue as my comfort for these lonely nights. I couldn't see that until now, but God always knew.

This spring I had another big IT in my life. I felt like I had hit a wall with my schooling and I was ready to give up, or at the least take a break. But I felt like if I did that, I wouldn't go back. God opened some doors and helped with a few things, but I was still in a slump. As I started the summer semester, I kept thinking, "I can't do this." I would also think about calling the college and dropping my classes.

But each time, something got in the way. I'd go a few days and then think about it again. And again, something would get in the way and I'd forget to call. Finally, I reached (what I thought) was a breaking point. I was going to take the summer off and then see how I felt in the fall. As I was driving down the road, I dialed the college and asked what I needed to do to drop my courses for the summer.

I had literally missed the drop deadline by 12 hours! If I had called the day before, I would've been able to drop my courses and get my full tuition back. But like always, something came up and I didn't get the chance to call. I wasn't willing to loose my tuition, so I decided to push through and stay in my classes.

And you know what? This has ended up being not only an easier semester, but also a fun one. I was so caught up in everything else, that I couldn't realize that. But God knew! He knew I would later regret quitting. Even though I still don't know what I would have done come fall semester, God knew and I know that He did everything so I could keep going. God knew that when I did eventually get around to this class, I would end up loving it. God knew that I would find the time to work hard. 

I still have several IT's in my life, but suddenly, they don't seem so impossible. I  have no idea how God will handle them, but I know He will.

I still have my list of IT's, but suddenly they don't seem so big because I know God Is Able.