It’s not supposed to go like this - Day Two

This is day two of “It’s not supposed to go like this.”  I heard from quite a few of you in response to Day One.  First, folks asked for an update on Dylan’s condition—thank the Lord, he came home from the hospital this afternoon—his eyesight intact!  It is our prayer that the serious infection will be completely eradicated.  Second, ‘did his soccer team win the championship game?’  No, they lost to Mater Dei, 2 to 1; being a goalkeeper, he is convinced he would have made the difference . . . not likely.  Finally, folks like Nini wanted to talk about how Psalm 37 has also sustained them.

Interestingly enough, in the briefing, ‘Before you say ‘good bye’ to 2010’, I mentioned being thankful for how God had sustained me, even through very trying times.  Friend, listen---especially if you are in the fight of your life right now . . . it may be the truths of Psalm 37 that sustain you as well!

COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD,

   TRUST IN HIM AND HE WILL BRING IT TO PASS. 

       Or REST IN THE LORD, AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM.

And how about – DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD, and he will give you the

desires of your heart.  Psalm 37 is chalk full of lifelines for the children of God.

I believe these truths are especially pertinent when ‘life doesn’t make sense’, when things do not go like we think they are supposed to.  In the past week, my dear friend was shocked to have her father diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer . . . it’s not supposed to go like this!  No, it isn’t—not in our minds, and not according to our plans or wishes.  In her pain, in her distress, what then?  Does she doubt the God she loves, thinking that he was sleeping and just let this happen to her precious father?!  I mean really--what to do, and how to proceed?  I talked her through frantic, panicked moments of thoughts of the future, suggesting she must trust God one day at a time … because when we are in the middle of life’s most trying moments, we must remember several things—

God loves us,

   his heart toward us is good, and

      ‘he who watches over Israel (and us) neither slumbers nor sleeps’!

         God gives us grace sufficient for the day,

         sufficient for the trial at hand;

              therefore, we are to take one day at a time.

              We are not to be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow has

              cares enough of its own.  (Matthew 6.34)

And what about her father?  Well, I went to the hospital to pray with Amy and her sweet family, and let me tell you, God was there in that room that afternoon!  His presence was palpable.  God facilitated a conversation of great spiritual depth, and wooed her sweet father to himself, ensuring his eternal destination.  So, though Amy is struggling with her own pain, she saw God work in that hospital room; she saw that in the middle of life’s greatest trial, he draws souls to himself—this time, her dad’s.   

Life may not go like it is supposed to … wives decide they are through with their husbands and children . . . retirement is finally here, you are ready to travel, and one of you is stricken with a devastating illness . . . a woman devotes all of herself to being an in-place, cookie-baking mother, only to find that when her kids are almost grown, her husband is smitten with someone new … how did this happen?  Why did it happen?  Things have gone terribly wrong. 

And then we remember--the truth is, we are not in charge, nor are we in control.  We can plot, plan and strategize, but sometimes, there is an unexpected bend in the road.  I suppose one of the greatest blessings in life is entrusting ourselves to a benevolent God.  Aye, it is when the believer puts herself in God’s hands, trusting that he sees around the bend; he is never caught off guard, nor does he throw a curveball just to see what we will do.  And when the really hard things happen, he does not abandon us, but rather, he is right there—ready to love, ready to hold us, and bring us peace—joy even.  He calls it ‘joy unspeakable’—meaning, joy that cannot even be explained because it is not of this world; it is of him.

‘Things are not supposed to go like this,’ you thought and scratched your head; well, that might be, but remember, God is in control—he is still on the throne!  He alone is worthy of your trust.  Why?  Because God alone is able.

Christine