Sift Me Lord.....Sift Me

I know that I brought about all that we are going through as a family when I sat out at prayer mountain and I asked God to "Sift Me...sift me, as wheat." I thought at the time I knew what I had just asked God to do. I wanted anything that was not of him to be sifted from me. I wanted to be Holy and righteous in His sight. I wanted His will for my life, I wanted to take the right path and not veer to the right or to the left. But what did I just do......little did I know that my whole world would be turned upside down and shaken so that everything that was not of God could be shaken out of me. I have grown so much in the past year. Through all the difficult times that we have traveled in the past year-I held close to my savior...knowing that without Him all would seem lost. No, I didn't know the path nor did God plan on letting me in on where the path was leading. I just trusted Him when He directed me down the path that He has placed me on. Is it a journey that I would have chosen-absolutely not. But what knowledge, what perseverance, what patience, what hope, what joy I have gained through this journey I would choose all over again. During my time at prayer mountain God was really focusing my attention on two key scriptures. Exodus 23:20 "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. PAY ATTENTION to Him and LISTEN to what he says and do not rebel against him. It was after this time that I continually ran into scripture after scripture about "paying attention and to listen." My journey is not yet over. God is continually sifting me into what He wants me to become. The process is grueling but what good comes of the wheat until it is sifted into a usable flour. 2 Peter 1:19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you will do well to PAY ATTENTION to it as to a light shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart. I'm paying close attention these days. Lord, yes I still want you to sift me.....as painful as it may be. I am willing. I am able. Make me into something usable.