Trials to Gold

If you had told me ten years ago that I wouldn’t be keeping up with the latest music or movies, I would have laughed in your face. But the truth is... well, life changes! My music purchasing budget went out the door as soon as I was married and had a mortgage to worry about. Then came the advent of kids. Sheesh. Suddenly I find myself choosing to spend what few entertainment dollars I have on edu-tainment for these precious little growing minds rather than splurge on pop culture for myself. How things change.

So, since I’m not buying new stuff, I have recently rediscovered my old CD stash including some favorites like Steve Taylor, FIF, Police, Blues Traveler, TMBG, BNL, and my various Weird Al and Muppet collections. But I also found my old (and obviously well-loved) PFR albums. I have been amazed at how quickly those songs are coming back to me... and how poignant some of them have been for where I am now and what God has been teaching me. Let me show you what I mean...

God has been working on me to let go of my plans and schemes for my life and just trust that He’s got it all under control. Then I listened to the PFR song “Let Go” off of their “Pray For Rain” album:
If there is only one God / Why do we serve so many
If there is only one law / Why do we live like there aren’t any
I’m not trying to get you down / I just want you to know
That if you’re going to live for God / You’ve got to let go

I have wasted so much time planning and trying and getting nowhere. If I could have just let go of my pride and trusted Him... You know, when you DO allow God to be God and to let Him guide you day by day, there’s so much peace and freedom!

Last night as I listened to PFR’s “Great Lengths” album, I couldn’t stop listening to “Trials Turned To Gold”--actually an old Keith Green song from the ‘70s. It perfectly describes my journey:
The view from here is nothing near to what it is for You
I’ve tried to see your plan for me but I only acted like I knew
Oh Lord, forgive the times I’ve tried to read Your mind
‘Cause You said if I’d be still then I would hear your voice

He’s brought me here where things are clear and trials turn to gold