When I lived in a shelter: How things have changed

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Sometimes the Lord leaves us in miserable situations to teach us valuable lessons or to build character in us.

When I was 19, I lived in a shelter (or transitional house) for single mothers, but I just wanted to find my own apartment and move on with my life.

I saw other young mothers move into the shelter and found their apartments within months, but not me. I was there for over two years, unable to find a place.

I am convinced that the Lord allowed me to remain there for what seemed like forever. And, yes, I was extremely angry.

But now I know why He allowed that to happen. Jehovah wanted me to trust Him.

No matter what situation we are in, we have to trust God and not let our struggles cause us to act “insane.”

Yes, I was in that shelter. But guess what, I had the best apartment. It was spacious and beautiful. But the fact that the place was considered a shelter made me despise my blessing.

The unit was spacious, clean, and safe. You would not know it was a shelter unless you saw the doorkeepers, a bunch of rules (like the curfew), and mandatory meetings.

We have to be careful how we view our circumstances. Because when we see them in the wrong light, we end up missing what God is doing, which is always a marvelous work.

Although I was living at that place, I should have been trust God as my shelter (or the source of my shelter). Psalm 27:5 says, “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”

The Lord had always been my shelter but I was too oblivious to see that. He had given me a beautiful apartment that I despised because it was a shelter for single mothers.

Isaiah 25:4 also states, “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall.”

Be careful how you are interpreting your situation. What looks like a curse may actually be the way God is choosing to bless you.

This type of thinking requires a renewing of your mind, so ask God to transform your mind now.

That child, marriage, job, neighbor, etc., who is giving you problems isn’t just giving you “problems”. The Lord is trying to teach you something valuable. Therefore, ask Him what it is and learn your lesson quickly so you don’t miss your blessing.

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-The Holy Spirit is rejoicing over you with singing, I honor God because He helped me when I was a teenage mother, and Testimony time:  My days at the bus stop with a baby in a stroller