"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

I used to think nothing bad would happen to people who truly followed the Lord. In my own life, I've seen this isn't the case.
"God will never give you more than you can handle" but what we can handle is different for each person. Also, each person has their own struggles, temptations and "weak areas". Look at 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, mainly verses 7-10 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness". Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong". Paul looked beyond what was happening to him, and saw what could happen through those circumstances. We each have our own things we are dealing with, but we need to look beyond them...to see if it is "working for the good of those who love the Lord and have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

We all also have our own decisions we have made and our own consequences that follow.
The thing about God not giving us anything we can't handle is that sometimes the things that are hard, aren't from Him. What we may think is from God might be what we want, and we put a "from God" sticker on it. Then we avoid discussions about using God's Word to test what we think He says. We get easily offended when we are questioned by others. And we pull away from people God would use to correct us. We don't want to give it up. We become comfortable in our decision. And after avoiding God's Word, avoiding people and walking on egg-shells, we silence the Holy Spirit and get comfortable in our ways.

I know about thinking something is from God, when really it was just me assuming it was.
I met someone and let myself get carried away into a relationship because I thought (told myself) it was God's plan. In the end, the thorn in my flesh was a broken heart by my own choice. God let it happen. But He didn't break my heart...and He didn't force me to stop what I was doing. I chose. And after my consequences, He was there to catch me. He didn't remove my thorn, or the memory of what had happened, but He gave me strength to make it through. He strengthened me to move forward. He helped me learn from it. To get something good out of it. He gave beauty to my mess.

I questioned God in my pain. I didn't understand why He let me get hurt, until I realized He may have brought the person in my life, but I let me impatience lead me. I assumed it was from the Lord without testing it to His Word and waiting for an answer. I told myself "it must be right" and went on praying "God have your way", when I wanted my own way.

I can tell you about being selfish, impatient and about waiting. But I'm not done with it yet. I'm not married and I don't know who my husband is yet. But I do know that rushing seems to have a track record of not working out well. We get stronger through our pain, but that doesn't mean we should walk into the fire. We should use God's Word before we make choices. We should seek His strength before we are in need of it. Paul talks about grace increasing where sin increases...but because of our sinful nature, some people may think it means you can do whatever you want. "What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2) Learn your lesson...and turn away from things that will harm you. If your friend rushed into a relationship and got her heart broken, don't rush into a relationship. If your Dad says boys only have "one thing" on their mind, don't be with them alone. "Preserve sound judgement and discernment" (Proverbs 3:21) "Better a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to use discernment" (Ecclesiastes 4:13) "lean not on your own understanding; but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7)

God will be clear about things. He won't tell us anything without giving us a way to test what He says with The Word. This is why He is so reliable. If you don't have scripture, pray for it and wait until He provides it. Don't assume what God wants and don't assume what you hear is God until He gives you a way to test what He says. He knows humans, He knows saying "he said this" without anything to back it up or defend it, isn't going to hold in conversation. So pray for Him to show you. Get in His Word.

"When [satan] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). Study God's Word, become fluent in truth so that you may know what is not from God. And when God speaks to you, if you know His Word more, you will know it is Him sooner :) and be able to tel the devil to shut up when He tries to act like God.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). We go through temptation...but God will give us a way out...we just have to take it. Don't wait until it's too late to wait for the Lord.