Never.ever.give.up

I am second-guessing myself more than ever in some areas of my life. Too often lately, almost immediately after I make some well-intentioned comment that is intended to be positive, helpful and supportive, I realize how it could be misconstrued as criticizing, judging,  complaining or interfering with another person's business.  

Fortunately, those are areas in which I think I still have room and time to learn and grow. 

An area of greater confusion is finally clear. I never quit trying and praying, but my hope and effort had certainly diminished. And then the miracle happened.

Never.ever.give.up. It's more than a baseball team slogan. It gives me hope in all areas of my life. 

Nothing changes if nothing changes

It's time for action. Nothing changes if nothing changes. 

What can I do differently? 

I still don't know the answer, but I hope to find out as I go.

I'm praying and striving to maintain a positive and grateful attitude and willingness to change.

And as always I need to trust God. Trust God. Trust God. 

This says it better than I can

1 Corinthians 13

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. ... 

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

What God Allows

God redeems what He allows. That's a concept that has stayed with me since I read it a year or two ago in writings of Jim Denison, on his Denison Forum on Faith and Culture. 

My choices are my own, not God's. I've made poor choices even as I've continued to pray. 

And God constantly works to redeem my actions, to work things for good, to make it right.

I am currently experiencing that in a major way. 

What I want to shout from the highest hill: never give up on God. 

And, perhaps related to the second of Christ's most important commandments: never give up on people. 

Never stop praying and believing and working in whatever way you can, even if it seems small, to know and do God's will. Even if it seems impossible that you can resolve a bad situation, don't rule out what God can do. 

I believe I am seeing answers to a lifetime of sometimes feeble prayers. 

I pray it is so. And I thank God that it is even possible.