Two Quotations and A Confession

I found these quotes online and I'd love to share them with you:

I’m slowly learning that our ability to help others depends largely on what we have learned in the tough times of our lives. People are more likely to see the power of God working in our weakness than in our strength. The apostle Paul discovered this in the middle of his own struggle. He pleaded with God to remove some unidentified problem from his life, but he learned in the process that experiencing God’s strength in his weakness is what he really needed (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

- Mart de Haan ---> Click on the links to read the whole passage

The most godly men and women of the past were deeply disturbed by the crises of their lives. King David wouldn’t eat or be comforted as he pleaded with God for the life of his dying child (2 Samuel 12:16-17). Even though David was a man after God’s own heart, the songs and groans of his life reflect recurring fear and despair (Psalm 6:1-7). Job’s experience was similar. .... Together they show us that trust can cry, and groan, and even doubt.

- Mart de Haan

glitter-graphics.com

I have a confession to make. When I first started blogging, I didn't try to find Christian bloggers since I was SO scared of being judged. Ever since I was a kid, there have always been some relatives who are fanatics. Whenever I cried a lot when I was a kid, they'd say to my parents, "Hmmm...it seems there must be something wrong with you." Their words meant that there must've been something wrong between my parents or there must've been some problems in their relationship...or that they didn't have a good relationship with God.

I also had a cousin who mocked at my job as a translator because I also translated Chicklits like "Sex and the City" series whereas she worked in the ministry field. I must say that I'm REALLY proud and happy to have a close friend who works in the ministry field as a doctor along with her doctor husband who are GREAT Christians. They don't judge and their faith is clear from their actions and their lives.

However, they sometimes doubt, they sometimes fear, yet they let those feelings be known to me. They don't act as though their faith was greater than anyone else and they don't act as though they were purer than anyone else. They show that they're humans but they surrender to God. I salute them for that. The glory of God really shines through them and I'm sure God will keep on using them as His lights.

I guess in a way I still have some hurt inside of me. I hope God will help me heal the pain so that I won't ever talk about my relatives again with any bitterness since I can't yank it out on my own. After all, along the years I've also been guilty of judging others. At the end of the day, we're ONLY humans and we're all broken, eh?

Anyway, enough about that he he he he...I fell in love with this image below. It's SO cute and yet it's also a WONDERFUL one, don't you think so? We're in God's tender-loving arms...mmmmm....