“Consider it all joy brethren when you encounter various trials, know the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its perfect result that you would be complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
A man was working in his garden when he came upon the cocoon of a butterfly. A couple of days later a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for hours as it struggled to force its body through the little opening. The butterfly made some progress but then appeared stuck, striving to go any further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining part of the cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings. And it would spend the rest of its life impaired, crawling around, unable to fly.
What the man failed to understand was the restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get through the opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings. Then the butterfly was ready for flight, to become strong and fly in freedom.
Often the struggles in our life are exactly what we need. They have been perfectly created by God, formed just for us. It’s how we grow. It’s how we change. It’s how we become strong. If God allowed us to go through life with no obstacles it would cripple us. We would stay weak. We would not enter our full potential. We would never fly. It’s the struggle that makes us better. And to avoid those struggles by retreating, withdrawing or self-medicating is to remain weak and escape the very struggle that could truly free us. So…..
I asked God for strength and He gave me difficulties to make me strong
I asked God for wisdom and He gave me problems to solve
I asked God for prosperity and He gave me a brain and brawn
I asked God for courage and He gave me danger to overcome
I asked God for love and He gave me troubled people to help
I asked God for favors and He gave me opportunities
I received nothing I wanted…but I received everything I needed.
Thank you for praying: We had a fabulous missions trip to the Thai/Myanmar border, highlighted by a car ride several miles into Myanmar to view the progress of the Megatha church build. Then upon returning, I boarded a plane and flew to Florida to officiate the memorial service of J. Michael Montgomery, former pastor of this church and the man who mentored me. It was a sweet time to be with Mike’s family, to talk about how he changed the face of Laguna, by leading many hundreds to Christ, including my wife. Marty Getz, the worship leader for Franklin Graham’s Crusade’s led the worship and during the reception afterwards played songs from Fiddler on the Roof. Marty is a tremendous man and entertainer, a Messianic Jew who loves his Messiah.
Beautiful, panoramic view of Laguna at our Easter Sunrise Service, captured by Chris Lizotte.
Prayer Focus This Week….
- Comfort for the 300 families who lost loved ones in the horrific Easter morning bombings of churches/hotels in Sri Lanka by Islamic terrorists. Pray for the more than 500 seriously wounded to recover.
- Pray for America and the deep divide in this country. It seems to me only God sending an abundance of grace and mercy will bring any kind of needed change.
- Join with me in giving God praise for a superb weekend of Good Friday, Sunrise and Easter morning services.
- Women’s Spring Bible Study with Chris Lins, beginning this Friday
- Upcoming church-wide retreat in May
- Marriage Enrichment Classes coming up.
- The transition of Greg and Michelle Sowle in Colorado, as well as Bobbi Boyd and Colleen Sullivan in Texas and the Kessners in Illinois.
May our trust in God grow stronger and stronger during these challenging days.
Pastor Jay