In All Things

“God is about to move, I can feel it!” I said something along those lines during my senior year of high school! But before I get into that, let’s back track a bit!

During my prime high school years, I was part of an awesome youth group with awesome friends and awesome youth leaders and advisors! Gosh! When I was with them I felt so loved and appreciated! I was always encouraged, and everything just felt like home when I was with them.

I’m loved by God so much and I felt it for the first time when these people came into my life. My youth leaders at the time, I didn’t know how big of an impact they would’ve played until I had the desire to step up after I graduated high school!

I prayed, I prayed to God to move in my life. It only made sense because I was about to graduate high school and I felt like it was time to see where he would’ve taken me. BUT here’s where I was foolish, I wanted God to move me in the direction where I would’ve been taking on a more leadership type role in my youth group.

That wasn’t the case. God moved alright, He really did. He moved me an hour away from my hub of people. I, at the time, didn’t see this as God moving in my life. I was angry and bitter towards God. I had all these plans to serve His kingdom and be full force in ministry, but He said “not the way you want to serve my kingdom Denise, but the way I want you to serve MY kingdom!”

I still didn’t listen. I was involved in ministry, but I was still bitter. My work during that time in my ministry wasn’t at all fruitful. It wasn’t until I came across Romans 8:28. It says “28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

My initial thought of this verse was misconstrued. I was being bratty. I complained to God about my situation and that He didn’t make this workout for my good (wow that’s gross now that I’m looking back at it in hindsight.) I was still angry. I questioned every motive He had for moving me away. I was a “good” kid who loved God so much! I felt so betrayed by The One who claimed to work it out for the good of those who love Him!

I revisited Romans 8:28 and missed a key component to that verse. In my bitterness and anger, I read it as God works things out for the good of those who love Him. I knew in my heart of hearts that being a youth leader for my old youth group was my purpose. I held onto that for so long that it blinded me of what that verse really meant.

In ALL things. He works ALL things for the good of those who love Him. God revealed to me that this was something He worked out for me. He revealed it in a time where I was tired of holding on to being angry with Him. (SIDENOTE: being angry at God is tiring. Especially when all I wanted to do was talk to Him about my good times, but I was holding on to being angry…Denise…)

God answered my prayer to move in my life. It didn’t look like it at the time, but in hindsight it definitely was. I leave you with this, God answers prayers. He answers them the way He wants to, so I encourage you to be open and willing to take in His answer. After all He works ALL things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. FIGHTING...the good fight!