Scraps of Life

This weekend, I got to experience a lovely retreat with my beautiful SAO sisters :) Our theme, as the title of this post suggests, was "The Scraps of Life." We discussed how God has our life planned out/assembled in a scrapbook of sorts, and that He uses even our greatest sorrows and struggles for His glory. Everything in our lives is made beautiful in His time, and there is indeed a time for everything in accordance with His plan :)

"Record my lament;
   list my tears on your scroll—
   are they not in your record?"

{Psalm 56:8}

"¹ There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What does the worker gain from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on men. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. ¹³ That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him."

{Ecclesiastes 3: 1-14}

"The LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."

{Psalm 121:8}

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'”

{Isaiah 30:21}

We had such amazing discussion as we delved into God's word, and we lifted songs of praise up to our Father via acoustic worship. We broke down barriers that made way for vulnerability, and through that we were able to establish deeper bonds of cohesion, both within our sisterhood and with our Father. I believe this song in particular, which we sung a'capella, struck a chord in all of our hearts.

I feel so blessed to have this family in my life. And truly, they are my family my sisters. God had them in my scrapbook long before I knew that I would be where I am now. He has brought me through obstacles and turmoil, and has turned all of it into beauty beyond anything I could fathom. Praise the Lord, for He did not give me what I wanted, but instead gave me what I now realize I needed.