An unexpected Blessing

This past Friday we had something very hard happen on our campus. A girl was hospitalized for self-injury. As RAs we all were affected, one of us because she had seen it, one of us because she was her RA and felt the weight of responsibility and the rest of us as we felt the burden of supporting our RA team and being there to "pick up the pieces" of girls in our halls who were close to the situation.

I was given the role of making sure a few girls in my hall were safe from themselves, were being listened to and were stable.

Big job for such little shoulders.

Later that night in talking with a friend and a fellow RA I asked "When did I become qualified for this?" She reminded me that as far as being capable to "fix" the situation, I was not. We each needed to rely on the power of God in these people's lives to bring healing.

She assured me that God had placed me here for a purpose and that he would give me what I needed. It wasn't untill a couple days later now that I realize the truth in their words.

God did prepare me for this, he did equip me for this job and enabled me to be the support these people needed. As I draw on Him for strength He gives me what I need to support others.

The greatest realization came however when I thought about the how. In a conversation on the way to church this morning I realized that through uncommonly difficult circumstances (at least in my opinion) I was brought to a point of knowing my personal need to depend on God and develop a personal realtionship with Him at a young age (12-13ish). What if God's purpose in bringing me to that place so young was to build in me the character needed for such times as these?

My minded reeled for a moment as I considered this thought.

Really? Could God have had purpose in the ways he used all the trials and hard lessons in my life?

Could it be that even in the darkest times of my life, like when my mom died, God could already see a way to work in me that I might be able now- 14 years later- to better comfort someone who's grieving? Could God really have such all-encompassing and specific purposes for the trials of my life?

I think the answer in line with who I know God to be in His word is yes! (1 Peter 1:6-7; 2 Cor. 1:1-4) What a great and profound thought to understand and accept. In the presence of struggle, hardship and pain I can have joy knowing that God is preparing me for greater purposes. (Isn't that the truth of James 1:1-12?)

I feel so blessed (in a way I am only beginning to understand) to have had the trials and struggles that I have had because I know that they have grown me into who I am today and equipped me to better serve my God. It is an unexpected and sometimes hard to accept sort of blessing, but I am grateful for it.

I would encourage all of you who are in Christ to have faith to see how God is using the hard, defining times in your life to shape you and prepare you for great service to Him. God doesn't waste any part of our lives but redeems even the hardest times for His greater purpose. There is great joy in that.

Mary