The Open Hand Test

I took a long test this weekend, namely, the Open Hand Test.

During that test you recall that you let your friends come and go--you must give them that freedom. You must respect their needs and then hope they will respect yours.

You forgive a lot during the Open Hand Test because as you are exercising your freedom to leave what you've known, not everyone will applaud your decision. Heck, most of them won't even understand it at all and you just may get an email accusing you of being incredibly rude when in reality, you were only obeying God and your heart in the kindest way you knew.

When you stand with God you must always be willing to stand alone, just you and Him.

You must be willing to be criticized, misunderstood, accused, laughed at and shunned. You must be willing to lose friends and maybe even your job.

But you must also realize this: Somehow, somewhere, and in some way, God will make it up to you.

Always.

Sometimes immediately--as He did this weekend after I took The Open Hand Test. Sometimes later. Sometimes not till Heaven. 

But always, He'll make it up to us somehow whenever He brings us to a difficult decision and we do just as He asks.



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