My 2010 Summer Lesson

This summer has been one emotional roller coaster after another.

In the big picture, nothing bad or traumatic has happened. We have had an incredible, fun and busy summer! But like a lot of you, there have been a few life events that have seemed to cause a wave of emotion in me. One week I'm celebrating, the next week I'm exhausted and at the point of tears. But my God...

He never ceases to amaze me. He uses anything and everything to teach a lesson. Including my emotional and dare I say "mood" swings.

Here is the one thing that He has taught me to pray this summer. The one thing that I will take from Summer 2010.

Psalm 119:71-72 "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces."

Over the last three months God has sealed these two verses in my heart.
I asked Him to give me the desire to pray these words, and He did. There were two situations this summer where God made it pretty clear He was giving me the opportunity to pray Psalm 119:71-72. I did. And you know what happened?

The drama that could have unfolded didn't. My typical, knee jerk reaction to this sort of thing did not happen either. (and I'll just go ahead and tell you THAT alone is a miracle.)

In the midst of the "affliction" He reminded me of a verse in my memory verse spiral from 2009. 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

So we do not lose heart, Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

A year ago, I could understand the concept behind these verses. Today, I feel like God has pulled the curtain back from my eyes and taught me to live these verses. They have gone deep into my being and taken root. It is good for me to be afflicted because that is when I learn something new about my God. THAT has eternal value.