Carla-

Excellent read! This is an area of our Christian walk that consistently marvels me.

It is strange how we sometimes get frustrated when things don't go along with our schedule or our plans.......for example, trying to leave the house by a certain time and just not being able to accomplish it. We sometimes eventually experience an, "Oh, so that's why I couldn't leave the house on time, God wanted me at a different place than where I thought I needed to be at a given time." Other times, we never get a clue about the reason (it's just "the mystery of providence" [thank you, John Flavel]--maybe we would have been in the midst of a multi-car accident if we'd left on time. In our human nature, though, we sometimes complain initially about an unexpected delay, or if you have to take time that you don't have to look for someone's other tennis shoe, etc. But He's in those times.

Before I moved to Nashville, there was an apartment complex in Brentwood where, judging from the magazine ad I'd seen, seemed like a perfect place for a single woman. When I visited the complex for a tour; it was not at all what I had envisioned. I drove through the lot and never even stopped for my appointment. I was so disappointed; I'd just known for sure that I'd found what I needed--why hadn't it worked out? About three weeks after I moved here and had begrudgingly settled on an apartment in another section of Nashville, I was watching the news, and along came a story about an apartment complex that had caught fire; the unit that I would have rented was one of the ones that were completely destroyed in the blaze. Talk about a dose of humility.....

Anyway, like you, I can recall and could relate tons of time in which, in retrospect, you can see God's fingerprints all over a situation, when at the time, you couldn't see His hand because you were too busy singing yet another refrain of "Woe is me."

Oh, there's so much more I'd like to write, including some applicable quotes from Dr. MacArthur and Flavel, but I don't want to hijack your blog. (I've rambled too much already......maybe I'll post more of my thoughts on my blog).

Thanks for posting this.
littlegal_66 | Homepage | 01.29.08 - 10:43 pm | #

ouch
Lisa Nunley | Homepage | 01.30.08 - 9:21 am | #

LG:

it's funny, as I read your story I already knew the ending (not because you already told me, but because I know our Heavenly Father and how He works these things out!)

Like you, I have story after story (some pretty remarkable) of God's mercy and grace and providence. The events that make up those stories are what come to mind that rescue me from my own whine-a-palooza.

I'm looking forward to your applicable quotes from MacArthur and Flavel! There, now you have a good reason to get going on that new blog.

Carla Rolfe | Homepage | 01.31.08 - 12:59 am | #