Wednesday, September 10, 2008

A lesson on tragedy...


I’ve been reading a new book lately called Finding Your Way by Dan Montgomery. He talks about a Personality Compass that’s very interesting, and maybe I can share some of the thoughts on that compass in the coming days.

But for today, I want to pass along an excerpt from this book regarding tragedy in our lives…
An African Christian named Guambi suffered the murder of his family in the massacre of Leopoldville, yet still he managed to become one of the most humble and loving men I’ve ever known. How did het get over the grief of lost loved ones?

Guambi told me that a person is like a rose. God can help even the tragic misfortunes of life to act as fertilizer for vigorous growth in those who seek his will. You can’t explain why a tragedy occurs, but with God’s help you can learn certain things from it. As you learn, you begin to grow. The newly planted rose bush must be allowed weeks and even months to assimilate the fertilizer that surrounds its base, and so must you be patient with the growth process.

In time a miraculous transformation occurs. The dung of life is broken down into nutrients, which become rich nourishment for new life. This fertilizer is gradually
transformed into the delicate, fragrant petals of the rose. And the piercing thorns serve to remind us of the cost of wholeness and holiness.

You don’t need perfect faith to experience personality transformation, only a mustard seed of faith that God is your Father, Jesus is your Savior, and the Holy Spirit is your friend and guide.

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