A college student wrote home with the intention of asking for money and to tell them about his grades. So trying to soften the blow of what was the reality, he wrote:
"Dear Mom and Dad,
Just thought I'd drop you a line to let you know what's happening in my life. First of all, I've fallen in love with a girl named Samantha. She quit high school in her senior year so she never graduated with a high school diploma. Also, she got a divorce last year and now her "ex-husband" pays child support for their 3 children. I've decided to marry her and help her raise her 3 children. Oh, yes, and one other thing, I dropped out of college last week after flunking 3 of my classes. I've got a job at McDonalds and I figure I can always go back to college a little later in life."
Then on the second page of his letter he wrote:
"Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm just kidding you. Everything is fine - sort of. However, my French grade dropped to a C and I flunked History. I also need some money for my tuition payments. Can you help me?"
Perspective changes things. Even bad news can sound like good news if it is seen from a proper vantage point. Romans 8:28 reads, "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose."
What we need to remember when faced with the struggles of life, is that God never causes bad things to happen to us. God does not test us to see how strong or weak our faith may be because God knows our heart, mind and soul, our strengths and our weaknesses. Recall the story of Job when God would not allow the devil to test Job beyond Job's ability to withstand and triumph over. Thus when tough times come to us, know it is not God's doing. God allows us to be tested by the devil but God will never allow us to be tested beyond our ability to resist or overcome.
"Dear Mom and Dad,
Just thought I'd drop you a line to let you know what's happening in my life. First of all, I've fallen in love with a girl named Samantha. She quit high school in her senior year so she never graduated with a high school diploma. Also, she got a divorce last year and now her "ex-husband" pays child support for their 3 children. I've decided to marry her and help her raise her 3 children. Oh, yes, and one other thing, I dropped out of college last week after flunking 3 of my classes. I've got a job at McDonalds and I figure I can always go back to college a little later in life."
Then on the second page of his letter he wrote:
"Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm just kidding you. Everything is fine - sort of. However, my French grade dropped to a C and I flunked History. I also need some money for my tuition payments. Can you help me?"
Perspective changes things. Even bad news can sound like good news if it is seen from a proper vantage point. Romans 8:28 reads, "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose."
What we need to remember when faced with the struggles of life, is that God never causes bad things to happen to us. God does not test us to see how strong or weak our faith may be because God knows our heart, mind and soul, our strengths and our weaknesses. Recall the story of Job when God would not allow the devil to test Job beyond Job's ability to withstand and triumph over. Thus when tough times come to us, know it is not God's doing. God allows us to be tested by the devil but God will never allow us to be tested beyond our ability to resist or overcome.