Page 73 - The Big C

mind. I don't have to let the things that are not perfect cause
me to take life for granted. I don't have to let unhappiness
close my eyes to all the wonderful things God has given me
- things that bring me true joy.
All of these challenges brought me to a place where I desire
nothing but to hear and listen to God’s WORD. I would
savor HIS WORD, embrace it, chew it, ruminate it until it
becomes so real in my heart and mind. It meant surrendering
my "whys" and choosing instead to ask, "Will You help me
see You, Lord? Even in this?"

I’ve come to understand that the Lord longs for me to
experience His presence and power at each waking moment,
every minute of the day, even in disappointments. He has
never left me. He is always with me.
This is exactly what Paul taught in Philippians 4:12; Paul
told the church at Philippi, "I know what it is to be in need,
and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret
of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed
or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

He wrote these specific words while sitting in a prison cell.
He'd been arrested on false charges by corrupt officials and
faced the possibility of execution, yet he wrote that he'd
learned to be content with whatever he had. At that moment,
he literally had nothing, not even his freedom. How could
he feel that way after all he'd been through, more so while
in prison? In Philippians 4:13, we find the answer. Paul said,
"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
Regardless of his circumstances and despite enduring much
persecution and loss, Paul could live with peace and
contentment because his heart was right with God.
Life is not always exciting. It's not always easy. It's not
always fair. We're all going to feel a sense of unhappiness
or discontentment occasionally. But we don't have to stay
stuck there. The life we live today is the life God has given

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