Anybody else have a problem with “leaving the broken pieces where they lay”? My babies teach me so much about life, y’all. Let me pour you into a story just real quick!
So Monday was my oldest daughter’s birthday;  she turned 8. She had a word search for homework and was rushing to finish it because obviously -hello- Cake. Presents. She was looking for the word “lawyer” and after looking at it for what I assume she thought was the appropriate amount of time, she found something that looked a little easier…Notice anything? When she told me she couldn’t find the answer my response was, “wait until we get home baby and we can look together. I’ll help you.” and she said,  “nevermind KK, I think they just left something off because all the letters are here except one so I’ll just fix it”
So she did. She added an “R” to what she was looking for. Just that easy she “fixed the error”.  How many times have we said “I’ll just fix it” when God is saying “Hold on now, just wait a second. I’ll HELP you.”
That. That statement has sat on me since Monday… and today I finally knew why. This verse. It’s kind of crazy how God will build you up for DAYS with a message and finally it all makes sense… but anyway.. This verse.

“In all of this be glad, though now for a little while you may suffer grief in all kinds of trials.. these have come so that I can prove the genuineness of your faith- of greater worth than gold which persists even though refine by fire” -1st Peter 1:6-7

We can’t just fix it. We’re not going to “stop making it hurt.” We hurt for a reason, y’all. Im beginning to have some much joy in my pain because I’m learning just how purposeful it is- all beautifully crafted for a specific grow-point. We are being tested, not by Him, not for Him, but for us. God already knows how big (or how not big) our faith is. He’s the real MVP at know-it-all, right? He knows. These hard things, these difficult things- are to show us where WE are with our faith…or even where we’re not? Even pretty gold melts in fire. Our tough days are to bring us in to Him… to show us unlike gold, we don’t have to melt when we’ve been burned. Stop trying to force His will in your life, adding letter after letter to the mess just trying to make things line up or to be what you need them to be because guess what? They already are! There is nothing you can add or skip around that is going to majestically throw you off the course He has prepared for you. Leave the broken pieces where they lay; if it hurts? Love it, look through it, learn from it.  There is a reason. He has all of our letters laid out for us. Perfectly. They are in there even when we can’t find them. Just wait a second girl, slow down. He will help you- be willing to let Him!
Love y’all
Katie