Yesterday I met my friend Matt for lunch in Springdale. I've known him for years; he was a student worker in our office at Tech when he was a freshman, and he was always one of my favorites. After college he married Angela, who was working for my former boss Dr. R, and now they have three beautiful children. But I digress.
After Matt and Angela got married, he moved to Siloam to work on a ministry degree, which led to a job, which led to everyone at JBU thinking he was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
So when I interviewed for my current job and told my new boss, who happens to be Matt's former boss, that I knew Matt, the job was mine.
Granted, I had the skills and experience they were looking for and also had the endorsement of two other well-respected folks on campus (thank you, Susan and Ashley), but this was definitely a who-you-know situation. And I blame Matt for it, as I told him yesterday.
I've thought a lot lately about the road that led me here. I've always been an "everything happens for a reason" kinda gal, so I do try to take the bad times for what they are, an opportunity to learn and grow. But it's truly astounding to me how God used all of the time in my life, even the time when I was furtherest from His will, to prepare me for this job. I met Matt at Tech, I met Ashley and Susan at UAFS, and Dr R left Conway, so here I am. In an amazing place with a great job and an opportunity to continue my spiritual journey by integrating my faith in my work.
It's no secret that the Apostle Paul is my spiritual hero, and he was the poster child of God using someone's questionable past for His glory.
He does truly use ALL things--even the things that we shouldn't do--for His good. That doesn't mean that He condones the sin or living out of His will, but He can take all of the screw-ups, willful disobedience, and times of sinfulness and make something good out of it. He is sovereign, and He is in control.
Showing posts with label God's hand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's hand. Show all posts
Friday, April 4, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
God's Hand
Today has been one of the hardest days of my career. I know a lot of folks think I have no issue with confrontation (like my pal Susan, who today told me I had "quite a pair"), but it really does bother me to have to deal with difficult people, even when they deserve it.
Every night when I say my prayers before I go to sleep, I spend time thanking God. Thank You for my family. Thank You for my friends. Thank You for having a great house to live in, plenty of food to eat, a good job... I often forget to say thank you to Him for the lessons He's teaching me, because it's so easy to forget that He's in all of it... the good, the bad, the in-between, and in the stinky parts that make us want to crawl under the covers and feel sorry for ourselves.
When we lose someone dear, it's sometimes difficult to see God in it, but He's there. When a child dies, someone who's really a good person loses a job, or a house, or is diagnosed with a terrible disease, I struggle to figure out why. But He's in all of it. Oh, I don't think He causes it, but He uses it... to draw us closer, to reaffirm our dependence on Him, to show His glory.
Last night, when I was reading Beth Moore, I came across this prophetic passage:
"Then comes the question: Will we walk away from Jesus when from human understanding He looks weak and defeated?
What do we do when we can't explain what Jesus is doing?
Will we remain nearby when He hasn't stopped a tragedy?
When based on earthly evidence, human reasoning is left to one of two harrowing conclusions: He is either mean or weak. Think, beloved, about what I'm saying. Will we cling when our human reasoning implies evil has defeated Him? Or that evil seems to be found in Him? Will we stand by faith when human logic says to run?
That's what will make us different."
Ouch. Sometimes when it's hardest to see His hand is when He's working the most. Oh, it's not always easy to trust. But that's how we grow. And how He shines.
Every night when I say my prayers before I go to sleep, I spend time thanking God. Thank You for my family. Thank You for my friends. Thank You for having a great house to live in, plenty of food to eat, a good job... I often forget to say thank you to Him for the lessons He's teaching me, because it's so easy to forget that He's in all of it... the good, the bad, the in-between, and in the stinky parts that make us want to crawl under the covers and feel sorry for ourselves.
When we lose someone dear, it's sometimes difficult to see God in it, but He's there. When a child dies, someone who's really a good person loses a job, or a house, or is diagnosed with a terrible disease, I struggle to figure out why. But He's in all of it. Oh, I don't think He causes it, but He uses it... to draw us closer, to reaffirm our dependence on Him, to show His glory.
Last night, when I was reading Beth Moore, I came across this prophetic passage:
"Then comes the question: Will we walk away from Jesus when from human understanding He looks weak and defeated?
What do we do when we can't explain what Jesus is doing?
Will we remain nearby when He hasn't stopped a tragedy?
When based on earthly evidence, human reasoning is left to one of two harrowing conclusions: He is either mean or weak. Think, beloved, about what I'm saying. Will we cling when our human reasoning implies evil has defeated Him? Or that evil seems to be found in Him? Will we stand by faith when human logic says to run?
That's what will make us different."
Ouch. Sometimes when it's hardest to see His hand is when He's working the most. Oh, it's not always easy to trust. But that's how we grow. And how He shines.
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