“…God … turned the curse into a blessing…” (Deut 23:5)

When Thomas Carlyle completed his manuscript on the French Revolution, he asked his neighbour John Stuart Mill to read it. Later, Mill came to Carlyle’s house, shaken and pale. His maid had inadvertently used it to light the fire. Carlyle despaired – two years lost! Writing it initially was daunting enough; rewriting it was slow unthinkable, then one day, watching a stonemason build a wall, he observed it was going up one brick at a time. Inspired, he thought, “I’ll write a page a day today and one tomorrow. One at a time, that’s all I’ll think about. It was slow, tedious work, but he persevered and the result outshone his original. Jon Gordon writes, “If you’re concerned about the future… I know how you feel. I lost my job in 2001… the company sank faster than the Titanic… I thought it was the worst event of my life. I was two months away from bankruptcy; I’d a wife, two children, a mortgage, no health insurance, and very little savings. I was a pay slip away from losing it all and … I had to make some important decisions. Eventually they led to the work I now do as a writer, consultant and speaker. I went from Fired to Fired-up. My lay – off led to my life’s mission… what I thought was the worst… led to the best… when the wave hits we have a choice…allow it to crush us, or learn from it and ride it to a positive future. We can move forward with determination and faith that our best days are ahead. “Rejoice. Refocus. God can turn the curse into a blessing. (TWFT)

PRAYER LINE: Gracious God, my heart renew; Make my spirit right and true; Sinners then shall learn from me, and return, O God, to Thee – Psalter.

 

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God gives forgiveness to those who don’t deserve it.