stretched

Yesterday I found a small spring on the ground at work, it was about an inch long and I liked it. Anyway, I started pulling it apart and stretching it out and when I pulled hard enough it didn't go back to it's original size, but stayed stretched out. I even tried to push it back to it's original size, but no such luck. As i thought about it a prayer came to mind. And I thanked God that I am like that spring, that as i go through things that stretch me, as He pulls me along I am changed and i can not go back to the way I was. Everytime i went to Africa, I could feel Him pull me, when I went off to college, and when I went to camp to councel, I could feel Him stretch me out whenever I took these steps of faith and obedience. And when i had to quit my job to go to Uganda, when my engagement had to be broken, when my car blew a tire and spun around and was totaled, when my cousin died, when my grandma died, when my uncle died, I could feel Him pulling me, stretching me, and I would never be the same. He taught me, saying, beloved, you must trust me when you don't understand, when it makes no sense to you, trust me, none of these things caught me by surprise beloved, no, not one thing. These things that happened, these steps of obedience can not be undone and even the steps of disobedience, the steps of faith, every bit of stretching and pulling, it's been done, and I am not the same and I can't go back. Now when the unexpected happens I know that God is still in control, I can't go back to being not sure, too many times He's been faithful, too many times He's stretched me to what I thought was my limit and now I can't help but believe, that He is for me and He is stretching me for His glory and my good.