PERSPECTIVE ~ An Honest Post

PERSPECTIVE ~ An honest post

It's been one of those kinds of mornings...

Slow, restful, peaceful. 😌🩵🙏❄️🌨

The kind where you just sit there, watching it snow outside, and thank the Lord for His goodness. #Rest #Peace #EastTNSnow

Even if things aren't exactly as you would like them to be, or if you aren't where you'd like to be in life...we can still find things to be joyful about, things to be grateful about!

I'm grateful that I got to sit here this morning, enjoying my cup of hot tea (no I don't do coffee), enjoy my cat laying on my lap, and enjoy the beautiful sounds of the season. I can hear the sounds, I can see the snow, I have my mind in tact to be able to appreciate and enjoy it. My husband is only a mile or so away, running our store/showroom, and we live in a beautiful area of the country. 🏔🎄☃️ #iLoveOurMountains #EastTN #SmokyMountainChristmas

Here's what it looked like at a friend's house in the next town over...although we didn't have any to stick here, if was beautiful watching it fall! 😍❄️🌨

Yes, I wish our house was already built;

I wish I had a real fireplace instead of an electric one; I wish I had all of my furnishings, much of which is held in storage awiting said house build; I wish it was a child on my lap, instead of my cat (I love her but she doesn't take the place of a child)...🫤

But you know what? I have more than so many. I have seen what so many are struggling with this year...many having lost their home, their business (or both!), many living in campers with no heat, having to start over. Some have even lost family members. That doesn't diminish what is missing in my life, but it means I can look at those things with a different perspective. I can try to enjoy what is right before me.

Today we will take a load of things to a woman and her husband near Newport, TN, who have lost much, and are moving today from a motel, into a camper that someone has gotten for them. I asked what I could bring her. She said, cleaning products, bed sheets, cups and glasses. Simple things, but so many don't have even the most basic of things this year. Lord, help me to consider where I am, and be grateful for what I do have. I have more Christmas mugs than I can shake a stick at! And yes, many of our things are in storage, awaiting our build and larger housing, but we still have them...they aren't gone forever. Many have lost all they had...all of it, gone forever. 😓🙏

A ministry friend I know was diagnosed with brain cancer over Thanksgiving, and underwent surgery this morning (Pray for Doctor Pete). 🙏❤️‍🩹

This year has been a hard one for me for several reasons...

A baby adoption falling through, other potential children to foster/adopt not working out, several health struggles, a major betrayal by someone I thought was a friend, the feeling of not doing enough in my calling (due to many of these things taking a toll). 🙏❤️‍🩹

But I must choose not to focus on those things. It still is a struggle sometimes, but I must make the choice...the choice to let Him heal me, to give it to Him, and let the Lord do the work. I ask Him to help me see things differently. Lord, help me see my life through hope, through the belief that things won't always be this hard...and that they could be much harder.

There are mountain seasons, and there are valley seasons, and I just happen to be in a valley one. This particular one has lasted almost 10 years, for the most part. I am looking forward to it being over, but He has taught me many things in this time. And perseverance is one of them. Darin has been asking the Lord for years, when he would pray over us both...Lord give us the spirit of perseverance! I honestly hated it when he would say it. But he is a wise man, and that is exactly what we needed..and still need! 🙏

So today, I choose to sit here, and enjoy that which is in front of me right now, and be patient for the rest. Lord, help my faith to remain strong, help my resolve, and help me to persevere in the hard times.

In everything, may I say ~ You are good Lord, all the time...and may I give thanks for Your many blessings! #Grateful #Blessed #Hopeful #LordGiveMeYourPerspective

Blessed,

Amanda Shiflett ~ Prophetic Reformer