Blessed, even when the blessings are gone?

Well, I competed the book of Job this morning. What a journey it has been! I’ve been so blessed by what I’ve read this morning that I just had to share it. I really feel like the overall theme of this book is that are we really blessed even when God takes it ALL away? I think back to a time a couple of years ago when God started taking a lot of things away. Health, money, possessions, family members passed away and even some friends turned the other cheek. It was hard, but I see now God was saying a lot to me through that time. I will say, that even through it all I NEVER lost my faith in God, I drew closer and closer to Him. Like Job I had all kinds of people giving me unwanted advice and trying to solve everything when all I wanted was for people to just agree with me that THIS STINKS. But I did receive many words of encouragement and peace from a few special people in my life. Job didn’t even have that well, not that we know of. But I just loved the ending of the book. Chapter 42 is just so refreshing. It’s just like God to bless him even more than before. Im sure Job would have been ok to not go through all of that JUST to receive more blessings. There was so much revealed through what he went for. And to think he had no idea that what God was doing was going to be revealed at a later time for the good of God. And I just loved the justice that Job’s friends got! They had some major sacrificing to do. I’m so glad times have changed! I look at my life and the awesome blessings I received especially right after we went through our big storm. And no, it didn’t take the pain away from all the suffering, worry and stress that we dealt with but it did calm the storm and give us hope. So I believe that when we are being tested it is the biggest blessing in our lives, as much as it hurts, God’s speaking through those times MORE than ever. I’m reminded of something I read from Beth Moore once. When a mother has more than one child in her home and one child gets sick who is it that gets all the attention and care? It’s that sick one, they need it, they need that love and nurture more than the others at that time. It’s the same way with God, He’s got his hands on us and especially on the ones that are hurting the most. I love the way that God really showed himself to Job through this test and I love how humbled Job was. He must have been an amazing person. The last verse in Job says this, “And so he died, old and full of years.” It just sounds so peaceful after all he went through. mmm, good stuff!! Well, Taylor is doing well at school although this morning she was really upset. She started crying just before she left, she said she just didn’t want to go to school. It broke my heart, I just didn’t know where it came from all of the sudden. But she’s there and surrounded with prayers from her mamma today!!! Hope had her little friend Emily over yesterday so today I’m sure she’s going to be bored. It’s so cute to watch her play with her friends. But she said something that made me think I may have issues with her when she’s a teenager. She says to Emily in a very soft voice so I couldn’t hear, but I did, “Let’s pretend that we’re sneaking out!” I was like oh boy……………..how does she even know what that is??? Oh Hope, you’re always up for a good laugh! And Kennedy, she is just a mess, she is trying to crawl and is rolling EVERYWHERE. She’s like an inch worm, it’s so cute. The other day I was picking her up and I said, HEY! and she goes, hey da da…………………..not that she knows what she’s saying but it was still funny! Well, I’d better go and start this day of laundry and cleaning. Fun! I hope you all have a blessed day!