God is a surgeon

I was just listening to a seminar by Steve Gladen, and he made a comment that I thought I would pass along to you.  "God is a surgeon, not an assassin."
Let me explain.
Have you ever felt like God was taking a knife to you, trying to cut away the bad things in your life?  Well, here's the thing, we don't have to be afraid of him wielding the knife!  He's not out to kill us or condemn us.  He's trying to bring us closer to perfection.  So the next time you sense that you're on the operating table, don't freak out!  God's not going to mess up.  If you adhere to his guidance, you'll end up a lot healthier.

Prayer

Here's a prayer opportunity I heard about recently.  Even if you aren't a pastor or lay leader in your church, consider praying through your church's directory every week (or two weeks, etc. depending on the size of your church).  I think the time and commitment it takes to pray for the people in your church will draw you closer to God, as you ask him to work in their lives.  Moreover, I think this prayer 'task' will also bring you into further fellowship and communion with your church family.  Praying for people has a miraculous way of getting you to take a deeper interest in them!