the Bible and the blind girl

from hebrews 12:

...don't feel sorry for yourselves. or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? my dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. it's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. he's treating you as dear children. only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. would you prefer an irresponsible God? we respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? while we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. but God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. at the time, discipline isn't much fun. it always feels like it's going against the grain. later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

from ginny owens...an old favorite:

if you want me to

the pathway is broken
and the signs are unclear
and i don't know the reason why you brought me here
but just because you love me the way that you do
i'm gonna walk through the valley
if you want me to

cause i'm not who i was
when i took my first step
and i'm clinging to the promise you're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
then i will go through the fire
if you want me to

it may not be the way i would have chosen
when you lead me through a world that's not my home
but you never said it would be easy
you only said i'll never go alone

so when the whole world turns against me
and i'm all by myself
and i can't hear you answer my cries for help
i'll remember the suffering your love put you through
and i will go through the valley
if you want me to