I have felt depressed over the last few days. It has to do with several things that I've been having trouble clearing from my mind. The biggest thing is that my own brother hasn't talked to me since November and I really miss my niece and nephews. I pray for both of my brothers daily and I pray that God will give them great favor and soften their hearts. I pray for physical blessings and financial blessings as well as mental healing. Have you ever had a sibling not talk to you for a while? It hurts so deep. Even though my brother has used me and lied to me most of his life, I still love him and want a close relationship with him. If it were anyone else, I would have forgotten about him like he seems to have forgotten about me. I found a great book at the library. It's by Joel Osteen, "Daily Readings from Become a Better You" I've only read a little bit, but it's reminded me of some of the great things that the enemy has stolen from me.
* Out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction
* Stop dwelling on the negative
* As long as we are upset, frustrated, and all bent out of shape, God will back away and wait. To show God that we are trusting Him, we must stay in peace; keep a smile on your face; have a good attitude day in and day out. When you are consistent, when you're stable, and when you're not moved by your circumstances, you are proclaiming, "I believe that God is in complete control of my life."
* Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalm 55:22
* Sometimes we lose our peace over things we can't change...You might as well enjoy your life while God is in the process of changing things in the lives of people around you
So, I know I have NO control over my brother. All I can do is to continue to pray for our relationship and trust God that in His time, everything will be ok and I'll get that relationship back and it will be 100 times better. Because my brother will be saved! I will rest in the Lord, expecting great things to happen.
