House of Alcina

What’s something most people don’t understand?

Math. 😆😆😆

No really, but my answer is…. How big of a blessing it is to go through hard things. I hate even saying that out loud because I’m not trying to learn any lessons today. 😆😆😆

Hey, it’s really true. I think the most valuable lessons that I’ve learned in life have been after going through serious hardships and painful endings.

As painful as those seasons were, God always had something bigger and better waiting for me. Each time I found the courage to move forward, or end dead friendships that were causing me more pain than good. God would ultimately replace those relationships with other things- not always people, but better things.

I really really hurts to let go of the boyfriend that treated you like you were second best to his friends. No really, it does. It is painful to let go of a man who pays you zero attention but has plenty for other girls… it really does. It hurts like hell to sever a friendship with someone who doesn’t really value you the same way you value them. It sucks to cut someone off because they lack boundaries and show constant disrespect. It does! It hurts to let go of people, even when they are bad for us. But hear me out….

When God closes a door, take your hands and your feelings OFF the door!!!🚪 As Christians. we know that God‘s promises are for each of us and that he promises that he has plans for us that are good, and even better than what we can imagine for ourselves!

I’ll tell you something funny. I had prayed so hard for about a year that God would help me to find the right person in my life to settle down with. I was in my 30’s and had ended a long relationship that left me damaged. I wanted so badly to have a family.

A friend of mine (my boss at the time/ friend now) ended up, trying to set me up with someone- and honey …. he was not my type at all. Not physically, not emotionally, not in any way.. but he was financially stable, believed in God, and was very intelligent. I truly believed that God was answering my prayer, even though I didn’t completely understand why he would send me someone that I had so many reservations about, but I fully decided that I would try to make it work. Within six months I knew that I had made a terrible mistake. I didn’t love him, but I just kept asking God why? Why would you send me someone that I don’t feel attracted to? Am I wrong for that? Will I eventually fall in love with him? Am I a bad person for caring about such a silly thing?

Well.. like God does – he answered. I would meet Gary before even leaving this relationship. That may sound terrible that I was talking to Gary while I was living with another man, but we very much lived like roommates and had separate bedrooms. It was an extremely strange situation and one that I was beginning to understand- had to end.

Gary seemed like a very unlikely choice at the time but we formed a sweet friendship and I began to slowly fall in love with him. He barely even had a job at the time, had zero financial independence, didn’t even have a running vehicle, but I knew that he would make an incredible partner and had potential to be everything I ever dreamed of, and more importantly.. that he could be even more than HE had ever dreamed of. I was right. Gods timing is different than ours. We both had lessons to learn and things to go through before meeting each other.

Isn’t that crazy? That God would send me someone the total opposite of what I had in my life? Gary needed to find someone to love, encourage and appreciate him and I needed someone to love, nurture and protect me. ALL of those other things like finances and stability just fell into place.

God sees things before we see them, so we have to trust him when things feel right. So many things in my life have worked like that.

Y’all, he is faithful to those who trust in him. He loves us.

That doesn’t mean life is perfect. It is NOT. But all of us, who love him and believe in him, can tell you about situations in our life that he has fully orchestrated, and prayers that have been answered because we chose to trust in his plan.

When things get out of control, try to Navigate and make plans through his word. Life can be downright scary sometimes!! Let him have control of what happens next, and you’ll almost always end up with more than expected. Ultimately he is the author, but we waste so much time by interfering with what he wants to do in our lives.

Surrender to him and when he closes a door in your life- take your hands and your feelings off the door (worth repeating)!!!

Pray with me!

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us. Thank you for your mercy and your grace. Lord help us to build up our faith and trust in YOU. Father we KNOW, that everything we receive through you comes from faith and everything we receive through the Enemy comes from fear!! Help us to walk through new doors with faith! Help us to close doors that no longer serve us. Help us to water the right friendships, and the right relationships in our lives. Lord, Bless every heart and life of every person reading this. I pray that your Spirit will move and they will feel your love as they read this prayer. I pray blessings over their lives and victory in all situation. I pray for breakthroughs with struggles and situations that seem hopeless. I pray that they will feel how loved they truly are Lord.

These things we pray in your Holy name. -Amen