Which helps you most with present troubles: Remembering God's actions in the past? Or claiming God's promises for the future? Why? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 790).
My
soul not infrequently cries out for the foolish things I do.
Sometimes I wish I could take them back and expunge all memory of
them. But sometimes looking back I see that my foolishness has
resulted in growth and maturity. And this is not mere
rationalization. Sometimes good things do in fact arise from
unpromising situations. Since this was in no way planned or foreseen
by me, I consider these redemptive acts of God. I am thankful for
them and mystified that such poor ingredients have resulted in
positive consequences. It is not an exaggeration to say that the
negative is transmuted into something positive and productive. It is
for this reason that I have learned to accept my failings and not
deny or reject them. It is like a beautiful child has been born out of a
foolish and immature sexual encounter and the parents, humbled by the
miraculous outcome, assume full responsibility for the nurturing of a
child in a stable relationship. I come to see, in the end, that
tragedy is not the inevitable outcome of my limitations and
weaknesses. However humbling and embarrassing, they are redeemable
through the grace of God. Over time this builds trust not only in
God, but in my ability to make a positive contribution despite
myself. I do my best and trust God to make any necessary amends on
the rebound.
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