The Precious

Therefore, thus says the Lord, "If you return, then I will restore you--Before Me you will stand. And if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. ~Jeremiah 15:19)

There are times in all of our lives that don't make sense, whether it's a disease, a child's wild behavior, a parent's lack of presence, the death of a baby, etc. When those things happen to us, what do we do? Sometimes, we ask why, but we may never get an answer--one we can work out in our heads--this side of heaven. So what do we do?
1) Return to God. Often times, we blame God and turn our backs on Him. Our first step, always, is to come back to Him.
2) Allow Him to restore you. No matter what has happened to you, no matter who was to blame--if there is someone to blame--allow God to wash away the pain and bitterness you've been carrying around in your heart. Allow Him to weed it out and give you a new heart.
3) Know your position--Stand before God. You are God's kid, that makes you a prince or a princess in the Kingdom of Heaven. Stand tall and be proud, as a person of royalty. Allow God to restore you to your position before Him.
4) Extract the precious. Look at the situation and determine if there is anything that can be learned from it. Is there anything to be gained out of the painful situation? Whatever can be taken, gained, or gleaned, keep those parts--then pitch the rest. Don't hang on to them, just pitch them!
5) Become God's spokesperson. Don't waste what you went through; console others, love them, share with them, stand with them. When you've been through something painful or traumatic, you want to be surrounded by people who truly love you--who really understand. Be God's light in someone else's darkness...be God's spokesperson.