Follow Up to "The Good Kind of Burn"

I wrote this post three years ago during the fall of my junior year of high school:  http://taytaysrandomblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/good-kind-of-burn.html.

It’s a great post, and I recommend reading it. This is not so much shameless self-promotion of earlier posts (this isn’t a sitcom where we repeat episodes after all), instead this is a bit of a follow up. Back then my idea of a situation that demanded perseverance was getting a C- on a unit test. Now, considering everything that has happened since then, that grade is mere child’s play. God sure put me to the test, heck He put me through some major flames. My question (now this analogy only makes sense if you actually read my other post) did I crack in the kiln, or does my glaze now shine bright for all to see. In words not so much induced by tiredness: did I let life get the best of me, or did I persevere and stick it out. My last post (written not more than 10 minutes ago) is about hope, and I cite Hebrews 10:23. Another verse that applies is James 1:2 “consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.” Pure joy, really? I went through all that hurt, and you want me to consider it pure joy?! Yes. God cannot control the fact that bad things happen to us, but He can affect the outcomes. Yes bad things happen to me, and even now I feel my strength being used up past it’s limits—but will I use this as an opportunity to glorify my Lord and Savior, or will I give in and allow life to get the best of me? If anything is my goal in life, I want it to be that people can point to me and say “Wow, Tay Tay has a sense of peace about the world no matter what happens. You can really see God working through him.” Paul writes in Philippians (along with James this is one of my favorite books) that he is “in chains for Christ.” We don’t always think about suffering for Christ, but maybe we should start to. Whether you are in a time of peace, or being tested in that kiln right now remember that this very moment is an opportunity to make much of God. Whether we choose to take it is the real question.