On a Positive Note

Give thanks and praise to Jehovah. He's good, all the time. All the time, He's good.

Yesterday was the Prefectural Level English Speech Contest. Two of the three students who performed from my school were placed in the top 5. Reiko (name changed) was one of them. For the past two years she tried without success at the local level. In fact, she had her first try at such a competition when she was a grade 6 elementary school student. Finally, now in her third year of junior high school she got the 1st prize at the local level and now 2nd place at the Prefectural Level. I feel blessed to be a part of this moment.

Last night before I fell asleep, I thought about how I've always thought negatively about myself, and so the time has come for me to develop and cultivate good thoughts about myself. My new favorites:

• I am loved by others
• I love myself
• I am a woman of good understanding, a beautiful countenance.

The next thing is I feel so free. "Perfect love casteth out all fear" has really opened my eyes. I don't feel so afraid of moving forward with things or when thinking about what to do in the future. I am not so afraid of making mistakes or living up to expectations. I am not so afraid of not knowing what to do.

This morning at school, I was reading a few verses from Nehemiah 9. Some favorite verses and why I like them:

....... and thou preservest them all (v. 6)  

• This tells me that God preserves me

....... thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them (v. 10)        

• God knows when people ill treat me.

....... thou art a God slow to anger, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful (v. 17)

• This pretty much explains itself!

This next verse really grabbed my attention and spoke to me on a deep level:

...... thou subduest them and gave them in their hands, that they might do with them as they would (v. 24)

• This is telling me that victory is mine for the taking. I am free to make use of whatever opportunities are before me. In other words, the ball is in my court!

Why is this happening to me?

When the jailer, startled out of his sleep, saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was on the point of killing himself, because he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. (Acts 16:27 AMP)

I remember what my Pastor here said about a missionary being sick; they all prayed and prayed but nothing changed. She had to be hospitalized. While they visited her, there was a man who was also admitted to the hospital who saw them and asked them to come and visit him, too. When the woman was released, they still visited the man. He later became saved. A family member of the man was also saved. Another man who was staying in the same room told them, "Don't just pray for him. Pray for me, too." He and another family member also got saved. 

God used a negative situation - sickness - for His glory. He did the same in the case of Paul and Silas. The keeper of the prison got saved; he and his family. 

There are some situations that I really don't like. One of them is when I have 6 classes at elementary school. It can get pretty exhausting. (I intend to from now on however, speak those things that be not as though they were. Therefore, instead of talking about how exhausting it is, I'm going to start saying, "Nothing is too much for me. I run and never get weary. I walk and do not faint."). But I wonder what God would like to do through these uncomfortable situations. 

Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises. They got a breakthrough - literally! And it set the scene for God to work. It's good to remember these scriptures in tough times. Instead of whining and feeling sorry for myself, I need to praise and pray.