Pain - are you ready?

I returned to my home today.  I went back to Celebrate the Journey.

You see my soul was aching to be filled with Jesus and going home with the family was not gonna cut it. Stress in my life is just coming up so quick and change is eminent this month.  Something is going to break.  It was me, I wanted to cry.  I was torn between spending the night with my family or seeing my friends and getting my church on.

To say it rocked was an understatement.  I walked in and was surrounded by people I love.  Music praising (and rocking) God and an awesome teaching from my dear friend- whom I didn't tell her I was there until the end.  Love, hugs and kisses.  Every time I went to talk to someone, it got interrupted by another.  I was an event.  God spoke to me in the songs, in the teaching, and in small group.

Which brings us to the title of this entry.  I can't remember the exact quote from the study, but it had to do with the fact that when you are ready to face pain, you are ready to stop your sin and change.  The chapter was on forgiveness.  I can't even remember how it all tied in anymore.  It is funny how it is all foggy.

Anyway, it was the sentence that stood out to me to tell me that the pain I was going through was a good pain, it was a pain for change for the better, and I was letting go of my "idol" and moving towards what God wanted me to do.  That just like when you work out (which I also need to do) and when you grow up, you have to experience growing pains-

Moving myself away from what "the world's" standards are, and moving towards God's will not make sense to most people.  But it will to me.  The first time I saw a light at the end of my cave is when I decided to let go of that.  Tonight, I think I stuck my head out of my cave.  It felt good.

Am I ready for pain?  I think so.  Now that I have the right focus.  Oddly enough, God sent me a book today.  Okay, God and Crossway publishers.  Its called Be Still My Soul: Embracing God's Purpose & Provision in Suffering.  Funny God story how he got it to me, but I really think I need to read it.  So I want to "review" it and post about it.  I think God works in ways that blow my mind, and he sent me this book- so I better read it!

But I can't face pain alone.  I need my family.  I need my friends.  Are you in?  Pray it up folks- this is gonna blow all our minds.