Look! I’ve inscribed you on the palms of my hands. Isaiah 49:16
Joanie Brusseau was at the bottom of a chasm and wanted nothing more than to know death. She had carefully planned out every aspect of her demise... but God intervened. He had other plans for her. Instead of death, she found life. Joanie came to know Jesus, His transformational power changed everything. She left the streets and found healing. Then God did an amazing thing, He used the darkness of her past to speak light into the lives of others, and gave her the desires of her heart. With the ebb and flow of life, the valleys and ridges, Joanie sees the fingerprint of God throughout her life. He's always been with her, she is imprinted on the palm of His hand after all. Even now, He has not forgotten her, He never will.
It's hard to know why God allows suffering, why some suffer so much and others seemingly little. I know that He allows each of us to choose between good and evil, and our decisions can affect other people. Sometimes the catalyst of our pain and suffering is unknown. But no matter how much suffering there is, or why we suffer, it is comforting thatJesus knew suffering too. He will walk through it with us, and can be honoured in spite of it. Joanie's life is an example of what God can do with trouble in our lives. If I look at my life through the lens of the fingerprint of God, the low valleys, the high ridges, the ebb and flow of the swirls where I was turned right around, I see that He has been with me and is change me for His Kingdom.
Follow me at KathyIsaac.com to hear more about Joanie and her story of redemption and new life.
