Still Learning, Part 2

In response to my last post, so many of you have sent me words of encouragement. I greatly appreciate each and every comment and e-mail. Because I know that many people have faced times of feeling like a failure, I thought I'd post what one of my friends e-mailed me:

I totally resonate with what you said about expecting it to be easier b/c God led you there. I have been there/go there often. In fact, he's led me to places where I (in my eyes) fail, even though I was depending on him for strength. An imperfect "performance" or even a failure does not automatically imply that he was not with you or was displeased with you. As always, he is concerned with our process. And unfortunately for me, that sometimes includes less than stellar results. But I am learning to trust him to only give me the success and/or failure that I can handle. This verse comes to mind: "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." I Corinthians 3:7-8

In context, this verse is talking about the sharing of the gospel, but I think the principle would also apply to the use of our gifts and abilities. We exercise them; God makes them grow and rewards our faithfulness.

I hope this encourages you as much as it did me.