Life is all about taking the chunks of coal that we find and turning them into diamonds. To be honest, we have two choices in life: complain about the coal or turn it into something better.
What the enemy means for our destruction is often the very platform that God intends to use for our blessing. However, many fall short of finding blessing as they simply look at their problems through the lens of unbelief and victim-hood.
If you look at the scriptures, you will find that many men and women took their greatest life struggles and turned them into a platform of blessing.
If you think about it, Abraham and Sarah’s old-age and infertility are what makes their story so amazing. However, I am sure before Isaac was conceived, they viewed these aspects as a stumbling-block to God’s blessings when in all actuality, they were a stepping stone.
The same is true with Joseph in that his days in the dungeon were probably dark days for him. However, when we read his story in the book of Genesis, we see that what he probably viewed as a very dark valley was simply the base of a mountain of blessing.
Always Getting the Short End Of The Stick?
So many seem to feel that life has given them the short end of the stick. In other words, I hear the way many talk about their problems, and, a vast majority of people with issues feel that their life has been one mistake after another.
When I read the scriptures, however, I see that God takes even worst of our circumstances and mistakes and uses them in His Divine plan.
In I Timothy 1:15-16, Paul spoke of his past life. Before he became a Christian, his job was to persecute this new religion called Christianity. However, Paul indicates that God used even his past mistakes as an example for all those that would believe thereafter.
In I Timothy 1:15-16, Paul said:
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
Simply put, Paul was stating that God used his very checkered past to send out a message to all of God’s power to reconcile and restore.
How We Are Turning Our Chunks Of Coal Into Diamonds
As a pastor and relationship coach, I am constantly taking my past struggles with marriage and with sin and relating the wonders of God’s power and His wisdom. In fact, I often say, “I don’t have great insight as much as I have great me-sight.” That is, I am not looking down at people when I teach and coach as much as I am helping them out of a pit I was once in myself.
In the past year, we have had to practice this principle on a daily basis. In fact, I would have to admit that my teaching and coaching has strengthened as a result of losing our precious Grace Evangeline in May of 2016.
Life is painful, and, to be honest, I always felt a little backward about helping hurting people because my life was so blessed in comparison to others. However, I am finding that where I formerly would back away from hurting people, I now stand firm and encourage them to face their battle with pain head on. In this way, God is using the Grace Evangeline story in the lives of others.
The Grace Evangeline Bible Fund
As some of you may know, we have started the Grace Evangeline Bible fund as a result of the accident last May. Grace had verbalized that she wanted to be a missionary to very unreachable places. After her passing, we decided to start raising funds for the purpose of purchasing Bibles for foreign nations. In this way, we are taking chunks of coal and turning them into diamonds, eternal diamonds for that matter.
Some have asked how they can contribute to the Grace Evangeline Bible Fund. The easiest way is to send a check to Beams Bibles and state that the funds are in memory of Grace Evangeline Force. Beams Bibles will place her name in the front cover. I cannot tell you how much it encourages our hearts to know that Grace is ministering in foreign countries even though she has went Home to be with the Lord.
The address for Beams Bibles is:
Beams Bibles
P.O. Box 10200
Gulfport, MS 39505
If you send them a check in memory of Grace Evangeline Force, they will send you a card back indicating how many Bibles were printed with those particular funds.
A Portion Of Every Sale On Our Site
We take a portion of every sale of our marriage book and our soon to be released children’s book and place it in the Grace Evangeline Bible Fund. Once again, this is some small way we can make diamonds out of life’s greatest tragedies.
Children’s Book Series
My wife is just a few months away from releasing her first children’s book. Her first book which will be called Summer Visit should be in our hands by April. After the release of this book, she is going to start a series on our sweet Grace Evangeline.
The stories about Grace Evangeline are limitless as she squeezed a lifetime of joy, happiness, and laughing into 12 years of life. I cannot wait to see that first book about such a happy little girl in red shoes. We miss you Grace so much, but until God brings you with Him, we are going to take every chunk of coal we can and turn it into something beautiful.
In case you are unaware of our time of crisis in 2016, here are a few links:
http://www.ocala.com/article/LK/20160531/News/606019468/OS/
What Will You Do
May I ask a question? What will you do with your chunks of coal? Will you sit down, stare at them and cry, or will you take even the worst of circumstances and use them as a platform for God’s glory.
Life’s greatest tragedies are often out of our control. However, all God asks of us is to control the controllables. Matthew Henry said it well when he said, “Duty is ours. Results are God’s.”
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