How disappointments made me stronger

Well, I'm working at Boots again this christmas season. I worked there last year too but there is something completely different this year. "What" ? You may ask. Well let me see. First of all I'm a few pounds heavier (thank goodness) and second I am no longer unhappy.
Gosh temping for Boots last year was a complete and utter nightmare. I was underweight and just a trembling nervous wreck. Anything could set me off in tears but due to customer care and company policy I was obligated to hide my tears behind the boxes of the 3 for 2 mix and match vitamin products. Pititful I know.
However, today I was just reminising about how heartbroken and upset I was last year. God is so good. Every disappointment that has ever happened to you in life, God knew about it. He allowed it for a reason. I constantly think of my best friend Lois who lost her mother this summer. God even knew about that. I'm sure she cannot comprehend what plan God has for her but all she knows that it is a good one.
Disappointments will make you stronger. When my heart was severely broken I couldn't grasp and understand what was going on. My 5 year life plan suddenly fell apart when I received a phone call last October. Everything that I (foolishly) put my hope and trust in just crumbled over the phone.

It reminds me of this scripture "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD."

Back then I thought that by this time I would be planning my wedding, showing off my platinum engagement ring and making preps for my suburban home. Instead, I'm in a tiny dorm room which has stacks and stacks of law books cluttering the whole place and I share my block with 72 other students. Despite this, I'm happy. My failures of yesterday have made me stronger. I've learnt a few things along the way. I've learnt to put my trust in Christ Jesus.

Jeremiah 17: 5-10 "But blessed is the man [woman] who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him." Amen to that Jeremiah.

If you've made mistakes in the past do not let them determine who you are tommorrow. If I had allowed all my disappointments and setbacks form me I would not be looking forward to my graduation from university next june. Most importantly, I would not be enjoying the fulness of God.
It is almost my blog-anniversary and it is going to be so thrilling to read about all that God has done for me over the past one year. Hahahah, I thought I would never come out of my sadness and gloom but God knows best.  I may not know you very well and I may not know all that you are going through but I can tell you this: scars heal, setbacks fade and you become STRONGER. It is extremely hard to thank God in the wilderness but this is where we grow to be more like Him.

The disappointments of yesterday will make you stronger.

Ashley's Testimony

Tonight, I feel privileged to share the amazing testimony of my long enduring friend Ashley.  Ashley is currently serving on a medical mission as a junior doctor in Honduras. She graduated from Imperial College, London last year but rather than getting a job as a General Practitioner in her hometown, she packed her bags and scrubs and traveled across the world to Honduras. Ashley is one of my greatest role models, so having spoken to her on skype a few weeks ago I received permission to share her testimony on here.

I met Ashley in 2007, and we became really good friends through our church group. She was bubbly, popular and extra beautiful but had never had a boyfriend before. A year later she met Darryl who also attended our church group. Ashley always dreamed of going to Honduras, the country of her  birth and it was truly the Lord who put that passion in heart. However, Darryl came a long. I'm not sure if God was in the situation or not but Ashley began to change. She still dreamt of working in the medical field in Honduras but somehow with Darryl in the picture her focus changed, she now was working on bringing Darryl with her to Honduras and if that didn't work she resovled to  stay in England and get married to him. Whatever happened Darryl had to come first.
So many of us christian women can relate to this scenario.  As time went on Ashley stopped thinking about Honduras and began thinking about her and Darryl tying the knot after medical school. Ashley was changing. Darryl was changing too. He began to become manipulative and just emotionally cold to her. Nonetheless, Ashley was trying to make it work and she was prepared to look past Darryl's faults.  Even when he began to compare her with other girls she still held on to him. I know, ridiculous, right? Yet, how many of us have behaved just the way Ashley was behaving? We've given up so much for something that God wasn't in and if it wasn't for God's grace we would have suffered dearly for it.
What I love about Ashley however, was her sincere desire to serve the Lord. Even when she couldn't see that this guy was not what God had in mind for her and that she was off His time schedule, Ashley still pursued God.
Well, you can guess what happened next. Darryl and Ashley broke up and it was Ashley who had to bear the pain of it all. What made it harder for Ashley was that she had to continually see Darryl every week at church group and at church. On top of that Darryl found a new love soon after. It was torture for her and it didn't help that her graduation was months away and she didn't have a clue what she was to do after medical school.  A confused and heartbroken Ashley did what she knew best. She turned to the Word. In her lowest state, when she felt that she wasn't good enough, pretty enough, slim enough and worthy enough, she fell down at the feet of Jesus. Wow! I remember her crying and praying to God to just heal her hear and give her a new direction.  God did just that.
The word "Honduras" echoed back in her spirit.  This young, budding doctor picked herself up, shook off the dust, said goodbye to her heartache and got back on track with God's calling.
She is now settled in Honduras assisting the mission base with basic vaccination for the needy and most importantly spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ashley may have lost her bearing when she met Darryl and some may have said she "screwed up" big time but in the end God had the last laugh. I think we can all learn a lot from Ashley's testimony. No matter, the mistakes you make in life, if you are pure and sincere in your heart, God will surely come through for you.
Ashley is so much more stronger, more spirit filled and more determined and I believe that her heartbreak with Darryl prepared her for the long days ahead in Honduras. I'm so proud of her and I can't wait for our future skype dates!