This is the stuff

I am not a real big sports fan (unless it's football season and the Razorbacks are playing), but the Olympics have been on quiet a bit at my house this year. There are MANY sports I do not know anything about and do not care to watch, but women's gymnastics is by far my favorite, followed by swimming and diving. I mentioned Gabby in my last post, and that was just after she qualified to compete for the gold in the women's gymnastics all-around. Here we are a few days later and she has earned that gold medal and is now a name known all around the world.

Whether you got to see it or not, you have probably heard what she said just after receiving her gold medal. Her words were this: "I give all the glory to God. It's kind of a win-win situation. The glory goes up to Him, and all the blessings fall down on me."

This girl had just won the biggest event of her life and could have said anything she wanted to say and could have went on and on about how great she is (because she IS amazing), but she humbled herself and gave the glory to the One who blessed her with that talent in the beginning. I do not know all of her story, but the bits and pieces I've heard tells me that this has been a long road for her and the way hasn't been exactly paved with roses. She had to work very hard and there were many sacrifices made by many people to get her to where she is today. I'm sure she has had many days where giving up was very tempting and it seemed the odds were stacked against her, but because of her faith in her ability and in her God, she continued on and earned her gold.

We all have trials in our lives, and even though they are not fun and may seem frustrating and pointless when we're in the middle of them, I believe we always come out stronger on the other side of them. I know many people that choose to blame God when things get tough, but these are also the people that choose to not give Him the glory when things work out.

I've read that Michael Phelps coach would make things go wrong for him just before swim meets, simply to teach him to be prepared for anything. For example, one time the coach hid his goggles and Michael was forced to swim in a race without them (and he won that race, btw). He constantly put trials in Michael's life on purpose that were probably very stressful in that moment, but made him better in the long run.

I believe that is how it works with God. If you are going through something right now that seems pointless and is making your life more difficult than you feel you can deal with, hang on and look for God's purpose in this trial. It's very easy to blame Him, but instead, ask Him to show you the purpose and to use this trial to better you as a person.

A personal example I have of this is when I had my second miscarriage in 1999. All I ever wanted to be was a mom. I have never cared about having a career because I felt my calling was to be a mother. But after 2 unsuccessful pregnancies, I was losing hope. I was in a dark hole and didn't want to do anything but lay in my bed. But then my sister-in-law told me about a woman in our church that had gone through miscarriages and she would be happy to talk to me if I was up for it. This is a lady that I admired so very much even before all of this, so I gave her a call.

I couldn't tell you how long that phone conversation lasted, but I can tell you that by the end of it she had given me my hope of having children back and some very good advice (that actually led me to my pregnancy with Aaron only a month later).

If this sweet woman had never gone through miscarriages and loss, then she wouldn't have been able to help me the way that she did. Just to know that someone else had gone through that, and then went on to have 3 successful pregnancies after that, was enough to put a little light in my world that had become very dark. And even though I'm sorry that she had to go through that, I'm so thankful that she chose to use that experience to help me get through it for myself. It meant the world to me, and I hope that I can help others with that throughout my life.

I know that you have gone, or are going through the 'stuff' of life that seems almost unbearable and unfair, because we all have or will deal with that at some point. But just think of God as your coach that's hiding your goggles and watching you proudly as you overcome that obstacle to win that swim meet and walk out of it a better and stronger person.

I love, love, love the song by Francesca Basttistelli called This Is The Stuff...here are the lyrics in case you haven't heard it:

I lost my keys in the great unknown
And call me please 'Cuz I can't find my phone

45 in a 35
Sirens and fines, while I'm running behind

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
Might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use.

So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD...

It is one of my most played songs on my ipod these days. You should get it if you don't already have it. Oh, and also Stronger by Mandisa. My favorite line from that song is, 'when the waves are taking you under, hold on just a little bit longer, HE knows that this is gonna make you stonger'.

So what is your 'stuff' and how can you use it to become a better person and servant for God?