The Ultimate Test

Hello, friends! It is good to be back. It has been an extremely long time since I've written, and I apologize, but let me tell you why. I have spent the summer as a counselor at Bible camp. Yeah, way cool! And let me tell you, it was the hardest and most wonderful thing I've ever done in my life. The best summer I've ever had. I'll tell you all more about that later. Right now I want to tell you about something that happened while I was gone, and share with you a very personal part of my life.

On August 1, 2013 my parents were divorced. This may come as a shock to many of you, as I have not written or spoken about it before. I apologize for that as well. I wanted to, but my sister and I were strictly forbidden from making this public knowledge. So now you know. My parents have been struggling for 18 years, and have finally reached the end. Making the divorce, this summer, a reality. So now it is over... but it is not over. As bad and terrible as this all is, and as firmly I believe that this type of situation is never in the will of God, this is a chance for a new start. My dad and I will be together and we will still strive to serve the Lord and do what is pleasing in His sight. All of this was out of our control, but what happens in the future is not. I look forward to the new plans He has for us, and the new opportunity to know and serve Him. And while my heart is sad, my soul is joyful. Over the course of this summer, I have come to know and trust God in ways I could never have even imagined, or come to on my own. He is good to me, and I thank Him every day for teaching me and molding me this way. See, God knows that I'm a tough nut to crack, and that it takes something very big and hard to get through to me when He needs to. Nice thing about nuts is, they have soft insides. I thank Him for knowing my inside, and though He try me, He will protect me.

I won't give you more, 

More than you can take. 

And I might let you bend, 

But I won't let you break.

Remember what He says. 

I've spent the summer studying John 15, talking about the Vine, the Husbandman, and the branches, and God pruning us. Pruning hurts a little, sometimes a lot, but all the Father does is for our good and His glory, so that we can be a bigger and stronger branch than before, bearing more fruit. I trust the Father, the Husbandman and His plans for me, and I trust Christ, the Vine to uphold me, and I look forward to what He has in store and fulfilling His purpose for me.

This is currently the Ultimate Test. 

Do not forget the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ.