Good morning everyone, your friend MB here once again.

This morning, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we often think things are one way, but God actually has them being another way.

We often think we’re supposed to do something a certain way, but then God shows us that he wants us to do it a different way.

This world tells us to do many things in one specific way, but is that the only way to get these things done?

Is the world’s way the right way?

I submit to you that the answer to these questions is no.

There are many ways to get things done, but there’s only one true way, God’s way.

Each of us is born with a purpose that God has put over our lives.

We are also blessed with gifts that he has given us to make these things happen, to allow our purpose for being on this earth to be fulfilled.

I have found out in recent months that I am called to do many things for the kingdom.

I do not know when the Lord will allow these things to be fulfilled.

I do know now, though that I am being prepared.

I am being prepared, not only by being taught to understand the gifts He has given me and to use them properly, but also I am being strengthened spiritually and emotionally.

How? How am I being strengthened? Through trials and tribulation.

I am being taught through adversity who I am meant to be.

The same goes for each of you who follow Christ truly.

He is using your life to teach you who it is that you are, who it is that he’s made you to be. He’s using your life to prepare you to serve him for all eternity.

In the Bible, we never read of Jesus doing the same miracle the same way twice.

Each time he heals anyone it’s different. Every blind person is healed differently, every lame person is healed differently, every broken person… Is fixed differently.

Sometimes that healing is not one you can perceive. Sometimes that healing is the blessing of understanding. Understanding that you are afflicted with something that will never be healed in the physical sense, but it will instead help you to be closer to God every day of your life. It will help you to cling to him when you would otherwise fall off.

There are people, including myself, who were born with physical realities that will never leave them. It’s not because God is punishing them, it’s not because God hates them.

Instead, it’s because God is teaching them to rely on him. It’s because God is teaching them to praise him, magnify him, glorify him, and worship him no matter the situation.

In your darkest of days, God is your light. Lean on him no matter what befalls you and everything as as it should be, everything is right.

Just because your life doesn’t look like everyone else else’s doesn’t mean you are in the wrong. Instead, maybe God is teaching you a new song. Maybe he’s teaching you a new way to praise him. Maybe he’s teaching you a deeper way to commune with him.

Be thankful for what you have even if it doesn’t look like much to you. You don’t know what God will do through you.

I have been learning to play guitar and by God’s grace I believe I’m starting to sound quite good.

It’s not through my hand, though it’s not through my will or my power. It’s because God is allowing this to happen to and through me.

I was born with a form of cerebral palsy that affects the entire right side of my body. That entire side of my body is weaker than it should be. While I have functional gross and fine motor skills on that side they’re not as fine-tuned and strong as the ones on my left side. This makes learning to play guitar the traditional way very difficult.

My fine motor skills are not fine enough with my right hand to be able to fret the guitar. And I don’t have enough strength in my right hand to be able to strum it properly.

Now, I did say that I am learning to play the guitar and I’m starting to sound quite good, but I didn’t say how.

The title of this post is “things are not always as they seem.” here’s an example from my own life, my own current state to show you what I mean.

Now think back to what I said, I don’t have the proper amount of either gross motor skills, fine motor skills or hand strength in my right hand to play guitar.

But I have found a way to play it. That is very nontraditional, but it works quite well. Correction, I have not found it, but instead God has given it to me.

I treat the guitar like a percussion instrument. Tapping the body like a drum, striking the frets with my fingers to make beautiful harmonic like ringing noises and striking the strings in various places to make different resonating sounds.

I’ve used objects to do the same thing to create unique noises that fit in with the songs that I have written, I use a capo to create bar chords that I could not achieve on my own.

With these techniques, I have so far written about seven instrumental songs.

By all rights, by definition, by the traditional look of a guitar player… I do not fit the bill.

But by God’s definition that he has applied to me, I fit the bill perfectly.

So remember, things are not always as they seem, but that doesn’t mean they are not from Him who is most supreme.

Don’t give up, keep pushing forward.

Keep leaning on God and you will be where he wants you to be when he wants you to be there.

-MB