A follow up to my last testimony

[Debitt]

I'm almost upset to say that one of my closest friends is going through the exact same thing I mentioned in the last thread I posted here. I suppose you could call it a bit of a downer in the short run...I hate seeing anyone I care about hurting, especially someone I'm so close to. But on the other hand, it gave me a chance to discover how much God's changing me and answering my prayers.

I remember I was at church one week - it was hot and they had an outdoor service set up in the courtyard. The message was on gifts (ie, the gift of tongues, etc.) and a list of the gifts the Holy Spirit could bless you with was read off fromt he Bible (Acts, I believe). The one thing that I remember sticking in my mind is the gift of encouragement - the ability to help lift others up. I remember praying that day something along the lines of, "God, please, if anything, bless me with this gift of encouragement. Help me to use it to lift up the people I love."

...well...now I'm seeing that God is beginning to bestow the gift I prayed for upon me. I've found myself becoming more level headed when others are upset - I've begun to blame myself less. In fact, I've found it increasingly easy to simply have a kind word or a smile or a hug ready when someone needs it. I've tried to share the things I've learned the past few months with others. God's slowly giving me the courage and the understanding to be there to encourage others and to help give them strength. He's teaching me that hugs and smiles are a thousand times more powerful than guilty tears and I find that I'm now more than ever before in eternal debt to Him.

[wiggins]

Cool! Praise God! Actually this testimony is uplifting too... to me at least. It is a nice reminder that God does and is working actively in our lives.