What Do You Need From God?

I read a little saying, "God doesn't give you what you want; he gives you what you need."

I've found this to be true in my life and in the lives of my family. Sometimes what we think we need is only a want. This is where God's wisdom comes in.

Example,Me:

I wanted a romantic husband. I thought marriage would be like the TV series and movies. Everyone is happy and the kids are wonderful.

God gave me a husband who has not a romantic bone in his body. He feels uncomfortable sharing his feelings. He is not a soft-spoken guy who whispers sweet words into my ears.

We are now in our sixties and I know why God gave me my husband. He is strong in many ways; in the ways I am not strong, strong in faith and character. He helps me be strong when I need to be. He understands my mental illness and reminds me how I can feel better. I see problems as disasters; he sees problems as something that can be solved or not solved. If you can't solve them, just pray and give it all to God. He is just who I need at this stage of my life. Thank you God.

My sister used to have a great job, own a house, new car and a motorcycle. Then she got sick with arthritis, chronic fatigue and terrible allergies. She finally had to quit working and sell everything. She then moved to Nevada. She thought she could get disability from social security but they turned her down. She went to a government work program and they got her a job with heavy lifting. They told her to get a paper route. She couldn't do any of that. Eventually, she was homeless.

My sister lived with us for two years but kept getting sicker and sicker until she could not leave the bed. We studied her allergies and mine and found out we both had terrible reactions to histamines, not only in pollen but in foods. We went on an anti-histamine diet and both got a bit better. But she was still much more ill than me.

She decided she had to get away from the tons of allergens in our part of the country and moved to Washington State in her van. It is the best state to live in for allergies. She slowly got her strength back and is able to go shopping and to appointments. She is still very weak, but at least she can get out of bed for part of the day.

Now the big lesson is this: She had been very angry at God for letting her get sick and lose everything she owned but her van. She couldn't understand why he would let it happen. But, since moving to Washington, she has made good friends with other homeless people. She has given Bibles away and had Bible studies with some of them. She has found she loves living in her van in state parks. The family sends her money, but we can't send enough to pay rent and utilities for her. The strange thing is that she said, "This is the happiest I've been in my life."

She thought she needed money, a job and a home; God saw she could work for him with the homeless and be terrifically happy! Who knew? Certainly not her, not me and not my mother!

So, whatever your situation, trust in God because he does know what you need.

Do We Deserve to be Sick?

John Chapter 9.

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?"

Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work."

"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Then Jesus healed the blind man.

While Jesus was in the world he was showing what God was like. He healed every person who asked. He does not do that now. Jesus went back to heaven and he hears all prayers, yet he does not heal everyone now.

My husband has Carcinoid Syndrome, I have fibromyalgia, some people are paralyzed, and some are blind. I have known some Godly women who have died; one of diabetes and one of breast cancer. They both had small children. Many prayers were said for these women. They were anointed with oil, yet God did not heal them.

Sometimes I hear sermons on TV and preachers say that God doesn't want us to be sick. God will heal us if we will only believe. But I disagree. I think the reason God doesn't heal everyone now and didn't heal everyone before Jesus was a man on earth is because if he did - all sick people would come to God just to be healed. No one would die, because if faith can always heal us then we would never die.

We are not sick because of our sins. Jesus himself said this. We are not being punished and God is not mad at us. Jesus said that that this man's blindness was so God's works might be displayed in him. What did he mean?

My husband has been asked time and again why he is so cheerful when he is always in pain and constantly feels weak. This has given him the chance to tell people how God has helped him through his illness. God has given him peace and joy in spite of how he feels. He has learned to lean on God for strength and patience. What Jesus said has happened; God's works have been displayed through his illness.

Many people come to God when they are sick or dying. The pleasures and trinkets of this life pale in comparison to the unknown ahead of them. God can take something negative, like illness, and use it to bring people to an eternal life with him where there is no pain, no sickness and no death. Therefore, God's works are displayed.

Life can make us bitter. Chronic illness can make us bitter. Both my husband and I wish we weren't sick, we have both been tempted to feel angry about it and bitter about all the things we can't do any more. But we have both talked with God about our feelings and he has given us peace and acceptance. We believe God will always bring good out of evil for people who trust him.