God has created me to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission; I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I have a part in a great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do his work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep his commandments and serve him in my calling.
Therefore I will trust him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain; he may prolong my life, he may shorten it; he knows what he is about. He may take away my friends, he may throw me among strangers, he may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future from me -- still he knows what he is about.
John Henry Newman, Meditations and Devotions, III, 1855
2 comments:
Dennis,
Ruhama gave me your blog address. I did not realize you were going through this. I will be praying for you.
I have had acute pancreatitis since Aug. 3, and have had to withdraw from classes and work until January. I'm one semester away from finishing my doctorate. I'm stuck at home with a feeding tube for I don't know how long. This quote really touched me. God is in control, and He has a plan.
Praying for you,
Maggie (Sanders) Garrett (from church in Bloomington)
Hi Maggie! I'm sorry you hadn't been getting my e-mails...something must have happened in my many changes of addresses...I must have lost it. You can get mine from Ruhama, if you'd like, and I'll be able to let you know when big things happen.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. You'll be in mine.
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