14 - Standing The Test – What Does God Want From Me?

Day 5.  “Life Is A Test” ^{(page 42 note)} Mom’s character, faith, hope and love for others was tested after Don passed.  Really, there were three landmarks in her life.  In 1925 when she was born naturally.  In 1969 when she was born supernaturally. And in 1999 when the love of her life passed into eternity.  When we would visit her after that time, I would watch her.  She seemed distant, distracted, contemplative.  She would stand at the back-patio door and stare out over the fields and farms. She would watch the setting sun.  Was she waiting for the day when the Lord would call her home, too?  She seemed to be. 

God uses testing to refine us: but for what purpose? When we go to heaven we will be like Jesus … “no more cryin’ there .. we are going to see the king – soon and very soon”. In the blink of an eye she would say and then snap her fingers.  She would have a twinkle in her eyes. 

Since coming to Houston to help with Hurricane Harvey Recovery, we have been honored to meet with a number of widows.  They are all being tested, but why them, why not the husband?  Bondye Konnen.  That is Creole for God knows. 

God tested Hezekiah’s heart.  (2 Chronicles 32:31) Certainly, He tested mom’s.  My conclusion ... so long as we have breath, God will test us to cause our light to shine brighter each day that we walk on this planet.

“Well done good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21 ^{(page 45 note)} Next to that scripture she wrote “Don”. Don’s name shows up throughout this book.  Oh, how she loved Him and oh, how she admired him for the way he lived out his faith.  

Rick Warren wrote “money is the greatest test of all. God watches how we use money to test how trustworthy we are.” ^{(page 46 note)}  She circled that.  For some reason she struggled with that.  When Rick Warren asked “Can you be trusted with spiritual riches?” ^{(page 46 note)}, she wrote, “I am not sure at this moment.”  This is where I would like to be able to ask what she meant by that.  She seemed to be a very good steward of the money she had to live on.  Perhaps she struggled with how she lived as compared to other people in this world.  I don’t really know.  What I do know is that God will test us, even in and, perhaps, especially in those things in which we might think we are strong, lest we think that we can do it without God.  

Could it be that mom loved Don more than she loved God? I can see where that might be an issue.  Does that mean that God would call Don to heaven to test mom?  No, I don’t think so.  Could it be that God would test mom’s heart after Don passed to see whom she loved more?  Perhaps.  When someone like Don is, well, like Jesus. Perhaps sometimes it is hard to distinguish the two apart.  But, Bondye Konnen.

Note: Taken from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren Copyright © 2002 by Rick Warren. Use by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com