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angelalli3
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Name: Allison
Interests: Reading, Writing, Drawing, Singing, Piano, Soccer, Volleyball, RPGs, Watching the 'Stros
Occupation: Student
Industry: Engineering
Message: message me
Member Since:
10/2/2005
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| RWR #5: Every circumstance is a blessing - even the ones that cause suffering. I am in the midst of a season of incredible trials and tribulations. You know how Ecclesiastes 3 says "there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven"? Well, lately it has seemed that I'm in the times for uprooting (v2) and tearing down (v3); the seasons for weeping and mourning (v4). And yet, in the midst of everything that has come my way in the past couple of months, I have been so blessed. In fact, I have been blessed by the very things that have been the source of my tears and suffering. On April 26, instead of proposing as he had verbally indicated, my long-time boyfriend broke up with me and asked me to never try to contact him again. This completely unexpected breakup - and the hurt and confusion that followed due to the lack of closure or communication - understandably left me broken for a time, but by His grace, God has used the weeks that followed that traumatic event to remind me of His faithfulness. He has comforted me and cared for me, and He has restored to me a blessed dependence on Him in reminding me that He truly is all we need in this life. With my family living abroad and my friends scattered across the state, God has protected me from despair in what could be one of the darkest periods of my life. In fact, He has filled me with a peace and a joy and a hope in the future to come that - back in April - I never could have believed possible. My faith is so much stronger and my joy so much fuller now that God has brought me through the valley. On May 26, I got in my first wreck ever. On the entrance ramp to I-45 N, I rear-ended the guy in front of me because he started to go; then slammed on his brakes. Legally, it was my fault, and I had no idea what to do. Mom had talked me through scenarios, but in the moment - especially since I was still a basket case from the incidents of April 26 - I couldn't remember a word she'd said. But again, the Lord blessed me. The man I hit was sweet and friendly and understanding; his sole concern was my wellbeing. He didn't call the cops, so I didn't end up with a ticket, and insurance covered everything. My parents were still in town from my graduation, and when Mom showed up to take me home, she said words that still resound in my head: "Look at how gentle God is being with you. Yes, he's continuing to break you down to refine you, but look at how gentle He is being. What a blessing that no one was hurt and that your father and I were still in town to be with you!" On June 24, someone egged my car. It was probably some junior high kids playing pranks on innocent people they don't even know, but again, I was blessed by the incident. My body was still on China time (having just arrived back in the States), so I didn't get up until about three in the afternoon. By that time, the egg would have been baked onto my car if not for the kindness of our neighbors. The couple across the street noticed the state of my car and - out of the goodness of their hearts - went out to scrub down my car for me. God used what could have been an awful situation to encourage me with the goodness of people. What a blessing! Then finally, yesterday, June 25, my tire blew out on Beltway 8. About thirty seconds before my own tire blew, I passed a man on the side of the road who was dealing with a flat of his own. I felt moved to pray for him (that it wouldn't ruin his day, that he would have a good attitude about it and somehow be blessed by the situation) and then I felt an urging to pray for myself. So I prayed for my own safety and was in the process of asking God's angels around my car when I heard a funny noise and felt the car jerk. I was in the righthand lane with no shoulder, so - crawling at 10 mph - I veered my car across three lanes of tollway traffic to the left shoulder. Miraculously, no one hit me. Heart pumping, I opened my glove box for the numbers for roadside assistance, only to discover with dismay that I had not yet replaced all of my paperwork from having my car worked on after the May 26 wreck. I had no parents to call, no brothers to call, and no number for roadside assistance. I phoned a couple of neighbors, but no one picked up. Then, as I sat mulling over my situation in my stationary car with trucks zooming by, a vehicle pulled up behind me. My knight in shining armor had arrived. Apparently there is free roadside assistance for people on the Sam Houston Tollway because we are paying to use the road, and with that comes this service. So Rick hopped out of his truck and pulled the spare from my trunk. He was friendly and comforting - and timely, too. And in our lighthearted conversation, we discovered that I may be working in the same department as his wife at work; we are with the same company in the same area of expertise. Only God knows how He'll use that connection. Rick was amazing. I don't know if I can describe how much meeting Rick brightened my day. He calmed me with his disarming demeanor and changed my tire in a matter of minutes. He was the perfect gentleman and did his duty humbly. He was literally a Godsend. Even in this incident of my tire blowing out, God blessed me by showing me his provision. He moved me to pray for my own safety, He protected me from harm, and He provided a rescuer for me when I was at the end of my rope. I was actually excited to have my tire blow out because of the amazingness of God I got to experience as a result! He is showing me again and again how good He really is. And He can use ANY situation to bless His people. In Genesis, when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, God used that action of evil to bring out His perfect plan of having Joseph as head of Egypt. Genesis 50:20 says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done." I feel like I am seeing that come alive in my own life. Satan is attacking me on every side, but God in His graciousness is using my sufferings to bless my life. What an amazing God we serve! | | |
| RWR #4: Love is a choice. Our society has painted a picture of love that is flowery and emotion-packed. Love, in the eyes of many, means butterflies in your tummy and candlelight dinners; being starry-eyed and hopelessly smitten. I, however, would make the argument that love is not about emotions; it is about commitment. It's true that emotions and physical attraction are a part of love, but eventually, the butterflies fade and the thrill of the novelty wears thin. When the bloom is off the rose, a couple is left with the option of either choosing to exercise love - even in times when the feelings aren't there - or giving up on the relationship, either through a divorce or breakup, or by settling into an unhappy complacency that leaves both parties miserable. As a friend of mine once put it, eventually the rollercoaster of courtship levels off into a flat, steady Midwestern highway. And when the predictability robs the relationship of some of its passion, the couple has to choose how to respond. If the two individuals do not view love as a choice they make, but rather as a set of feelings that comes and goes, the relationship will undoubtedly suffer during the dry spells of emotion. We are all flawed human beings, and in order to have a mature and successful relationship, the two partners have to be aware of this fact and make the decision to love one other in spite of these flaws. An expectation of perfection and unending lovelight is unrealistic. There will be times where each partner does not feel love for the other, and at these times, practicing love is a choice. | | |
| "Many are the plans in a man's heart, But it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proberbs 19:21 | | |
| Real World Realization #2: Deciding to try is half the battle Last week, I cut Chase's hair. I had absolutely no desire to do this; it was something Chase cajoled me into doing. I had never cut anyone's hair before. Well... there was that one time with my stuffed animal, but we won't discuss that tragedy. In any case, I had never even seen a male hair-cutting implement before and was (understandably) very nervous. Chase wanted a 9 on top and a 3 on the sides, so he handed me the buzzer thingy and briefly explained how to use it. He even tried to give me pointers on technique, but since I was having trouble even figuring out which button turned it on (as opposed to the one that popped out the blade), most of that went over my head. After I finished, Chase went and showered to get rid of all of the loose hairs. Throughout the rest of our evening together, the awkward line between the 3 and 9 level buzzes nearly drove me mad. Finally, I asked Chase if I could try to fix it, and he obliged me (though, sweet man that he is, he had been praising my pitiful attempt all evening). I intentionally forgot whatever technique Chase had tried to explain to me and focused on using my artistic ability to make the haircut look right. After a few minutes, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had successfully faded the two layers together, resulting in a rather professional-looking haircut! Chase has said that, from here on out, he would like for me to save him $8.00 and do all of his haircuts for him. I am pleased to do so – and excited to have acquired a new skill in the span of a single evening! All it took was the will to try something new. | | |
| As I prepare to graduate and make the transition into the "real world", I am beginning to learn a lot of things that I wasn't even aware I didn't know (like the difference between an HMO and a PPO). As I grow in knowledge and experience these "Real World Realizations", I'd like to share some of the more humorous, interesting, and insightful ones. Come along on this journey with me as I (albeit, somewhat reluctantly) leave Never Never Land to become an adult. Real World Realization #1: Using a spatula doesn't mean more clean up. All my life, I have avoided using a spatula to clean out mixing bowls because it seemed like just one more thing to clean up. However, last night I was forced to use a spatula to get more batter from the bowl in an effort to even out the heights of my two cake layers. What I discovered was that it is a lot easier to clean a spatula and two essentially spotless bowls than it is to clean two rather messy, batter-filled bowls. I have officially been inducted into the world of spatula users. | | |
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