Every experience we have in life prepares us for something else. We don’t have the privilege to know what it’s preparing us for. Just know that it is.

Many years ago I had an experience in an al anon meeting that changed me. In an instant, I released all judgment of other people. This has freed me to see through people as they are, not just look at them with prejudice and misunderstanding. That moment in my life was awe-inspiring.

My al anon moment prepared me to go into prisons and share my life story. Many of the inmates open up and talk about what’s happened in their lives. You hear some things that are heartbreaking. Very sick people do horrible things to others, leaving the victim broken and living with a deep and constant pain.

When you are going through darkness, please remember that it can be used for good. It’s getting you prepared for a purpose, a purpose that will benefit mankind in ways we cannot imagine.

Just keep going…

There are a lot of things we aren’t going to understand on this side of eternity. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why did my life go left instead of right? Why am I even here?

God doesn’t owe us an explanation. The truth is, if he explained things to us we wouldn’t understand. Look at your own life. If ten years ago you had been given the opportunity to look at your life today, it wouldn’t make sense how you arrived here.

God is good and he is just. We just need to trust him. This includes trusting God during the shitty times in life. It’s easy to trust when everything is going well. He has been with us during every moment of our life, no matter what we were going through.

My encouragement to you is to say YES to whatever brings you closer to God. Say no to the things (and the people) who keep you apart from him. Look for God’s influence and direction in your life and other people’s lives. It’s there…

In The Book of Genesis we learn the story of Joseph. Joseph was a young dreamer who had a good heart. His older brothers sold him to some Midianite traders who sold Joseph to an officer of Pharaohs in Egypt. His brothers faked his death and thought they were rid of their troublesome brother, the “dreamer.”

Joseph was a righteous man and did well In Pharaohs eyes. God opened Joseph’s eyes to interpret dreams which saved Egypt during a long drought. The Egyptians had food while the rest of the world was starving. Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food, not knowing that it was their little brother who would be the one selling it to them.

Through a series of fascinating events, Joseph and his entire family were reunited. Joseph informed his brothers that “what they intended for harm, God intended for good.” The story is worth reading. You can find it in Genesis, Chapters 37-50.

The story of Joseph, and many others, is a great reminder that God is always working in our lives. We do not see it, but it’s happening.

God didn’t create us and then forget about us. He’s working…

In several instances, Jesus healed people on the Sabbath which, in doing so, sent the religious leaders into orbit. You see, it was against the law to do work on the Sabbath. Healing someone was considered to be work.

There was a lot at play here. First off, Jesus created the Sabbath and was in control of it. Further, by doing good on this day in particular he showed his mercy and compassion for mankind. Jesus is at work all the time, not just six days per week.

We can get confused about religion. In its essence, religion is a set of beliefs. We believe and have faith in someone we can’t really see. Or can we?

While Jesus was among us, he performed incredible miracles. He wasn’t showing off, and he never did a miracle that benefited him. He was demonstrating the character of God. And miracles continue happening today. Childbirth is a miracle. So is the position of the sun.

Slow down and take a look around. Miracles are everywhere. In fact, you are a living miracle. Don’t take it for granted…