Jesus is bigger...

    Gigi was adopted as a child. Unfortunately, her adoptive parents abused her and her brother - also adopted - sexually, pyhsically and mentally. When she became a teenager even her brother started sexually abusing her. She felt trapped. The neighbours saw her parents as upstanding people who took their children to Mass regularly and provided for them. They chose to turn a blind eye to what was happening. One day, when she could take it no more she slit her wrist. She was taken to a seventy-hour hold for an evaluation.
    After high school, she moved out and lived with friends and on the street. She became addicted to drugs and alcohol. She turned to stripping to be able to finance her drug addiction. She was introduced to the owner who turned out to be a sex trafficker. She was in a relationship with him for a number of years. He provided the material things she could not afford. When he got tired of her, he kicked her back out onto the streets. While there, she was arrested and sentenced to a faith-based rehab program where she learned about God’s love. Unfortunately, when she left rehab, she went back to her life of drugs and found herself once again in sex trafficking. She had everything taken from her including her I.D., birth certificate and her money. She had nothing. 
    One day, while begging for money on the streets, a pastor gave her money and invited her to church. He provided transport for her to the church and took care of her needs. She began attending church and was re-introduced to the love she had been introduced to years earlier while in rehab. The church members helped rescue her from sex trafficking and helped her find a job. Some time later, she finally surrendered her life to Christ.
    Today, Gigi’s life is full. She has a church family that loves her, a good job, a degree and she hopes to write the story of what Jesus has done for her. She concedes that no matter what you have been through in this life, Jesus is bigger; no matter what your story has been like, with Jesus your story is not done.
    “No matter what you have been through in this life, Jesus is bigger.” There is nothing we can go through that will ever be bigger than God. The reality is though, while we are going through it may seem and feel so overwhelming that we may wonder if we will make it, how we are going to make it, or even how long before the situation finally comes to an end. It can be difficult to see God in this season. Sometimes He may feel near but I think more times than not, He seems so far away. It’s in the waiting that we can choose to throw in the towel or we can choose to hold on to and trust God. When we choose to trust God, as painful and difficult as it may be, we will not be disappointed. 
    King David went through a number of challenges yet, he chose to hold on to his God and trust Him. He chose to believe that God would come through for him. In Psalm 27:13-14 (NIV) David says: “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” David was not saying this because everything in his life was going great. On the contrary, as he faced challenges, he chose to believe that he would still experience God’s goodness to him, his God would take care of him!
    We all have challenges to face. Unfortunately, we cannot choose the challenges that come our way. But, we can choose our response. We can choose to believe that God will come through for us, that He will work things out for our good in the end. As Gigi also said: “no matter what your story has been like, with Jesus your story is not done.” God still has the final say. Once you put your trust in Him and turn the situation over to Him, He will not disappoint. And, when you allow Him to write your story, it will be one that will be a source of encouragement and strength to all who read it.    
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. Life will, at times, send situations that are beyond your control. Yet, when you choose to look to God and put your trust in Him, God will give you the strength and support you need to make it through.

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