I apologize for not writing lately, it has been very busy and I have been unable to do the study I like to do.  Since I have pretty much completed Eve, I needed to work on the next lady, but got distracted doing other things for my husband.  But I got a letter today and wanted to share a portion.  It is from Hannah Overton, so those who get her updates may have already read this, but even so I feel it is an encouragement for us all.  For those of you not familiar with Hannah - go to her site and read about her trials:  http://www.freehannah.com/.  Below is a portion from her letter the parenthetical parts are my observation or addition:

 ”This (she is referring to questioning God’s goodness) is an age old problem that began in Genesis when Eve was offered the fruit of a tree that would make her ‘like God,’ she didn’t need the fruit. God had provided abundantly. So how did the enemy get her to give into the temptation? She wanted wisdom enough to be in charge. She was unwilling to just let God be God, in all His wisdom. In her love for herself, her husband, and maybe even her future children she believed she could choose better than God what was best. This has been a curse ever since. We can’t just trust God’s ways are best. God didn’t say there wouldn’t be sorrow. In fact because of Eve’s choice to try to be God in that situation, instead of trusting His best, she brought sorrow into this world. It’s a given, in this life there will be sorrow. But God in His mercy uses this sorrow for our good. He redeems all the pain. Romans 8:28 says, ‘All things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.’”

(I have removed several paragraphs she wrote about her oldest son’s trust through a trial God put her children through check the site mentioned above for the complete letter)

“We each have a choice to make. Are we going to trust ourselves, or trust God? He is faithful! He loves us, and His ways are best! As a mother there have been many times when I’ve asked God why He allowed my kids to be taken like that (the children were taken by CPS for 24 hours after Larry and Hannah were arrested)? Haven’t they gone through enough? That 24hrs., was very traumatic for them and they’ve had the effects of that for a long time but now I see, His ways are higher than ours. He knew that my son needed to see Him faithfully bring him home and carry him through that, so he could trust Him to carry us through this, deliver us and bring me home. God had my son’s best interest at heart as He always does all of us!

“So, what do we do when we’re in the midst of the sorrow? How do we cope with not understanding God’s plan for our lives? Let God be God! Hold tight onto His promises! Trust Him and persevere! James 5:11 says, ‘Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.’ God’s promises are sure!”

Her letter goes on with much more encouragement that it puts me to shame when I have my doubts.  As women we want our husbands to protect and keep us from harm, but what happens when either they can’t or won’t?  Do we turn to our own devices, or to God?  In today’s mindset of independence, the world says we should depend on ourselves because in the end that is all we have that is faithful.  But is that true? NO! We need to be depending on God, through Jesus Christ alone.  It is the saving work of Christ that gives us the right to ask God our Father to protect and keep us.  Hannah has been through a trial most of us cannot even imagine.  It was bad enough to lose a child, but to then be charged with his death, tried and convicted, and now in prison potentially for the rest of her life, would you be able to say, “The verses in Ephesians 3:20-21 sum it all up. ‘Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen’?”  God has been faithful to Hannah and used her in prison to spread His word of salvation.

So I ask again, would you have that kind of faith? Would you trust God is in control even when there appears on human terms to be no hope in sight?  Could you praise God for putting your children through the pain of being separated from their parents because you know He means it for their good.  How do we live our lives on a day to day basis?  Do we flower for Jesus’ sake where ever we find ourselves, or do we complain and wish things were different.  When your friends think of you do they think “what a godly woman she is, she always praises Jesus for His goodness no matter what,” or do they fear being around you because you always complain about your circumstances?

My prayer for us all is that we can learn to trust God more fully each day, that we will flower and be a sweet aroma to those around us, and that we praise Jesus for all His merciful gifts He has given us, that we do not deserve.

I will try to be more faithful in my postings, and look forward to any comments you might make.  Feel free as always to pass this along to your friends.  God be with you all and may our Lord Jesus richly bless you in whatever trial you may be facing.