Looking back....
One of the things I learned about the same time I learned how God speaks to His children these days is that sometimes it pleases God to take us back in our past a little bit, when it serves His purpose. Today was such a day.
Many of my Guard friends will remember back to when I almost bought a mansion. At the last minute, the deal fell apart. Over the next year, we'd have a couple of more bites at that apple, but the thing always seemed just out of reach.
Today I had an opportunity to return to the mansion under some different circumstances. The folks who would eventually buy said property kindly donated some things to our church and I had the opportunity to help pick them up.
I have a great deal of empathy for people these days and today I'm also cognizant of the meaning, "there but for the Grace of God go I." Sometimes no can be a big blessing. At the time, I sure didn't think so, but with an opportunity to look back on the whole thing, maybe it worked out for us for the best.
Last week's lesson was all about giving. This week's was about having my eyes opened. Some things I can see clearly, and others, well, sometimes I feel like I can see the men but they look like trees moving around. Yesterday was a day like that. I saw some things and took a step, only to get smacked back down. But as a little facebook meme I saw the other day reminded me: "It's awfully hard to save someone who's drowning when they keep going back into the ocean."
Sometimes it pleases God to hide things from us. I think about the two who were walking down the road with Jesus but were prevented from recognizing Him. Sometimes we can't see clearly at the time but later on we get a chance to look back and see that God was busy in our lives even when we were far from Him. I thought that lesson was going to take another form, but maybe today's experience was what He meant.
Again, I don't know. I just know today I'm thankful for His divine intervention. Sometimes failure turns into blessings, and today I count myself blessed. I'm happy for me, sad for others, and grateful that God loved me enough to say "no".
Many of my Guard friends will remember back to when I almost bought a mansion. At the last minute, the deal fell apart. Over the next year, we'd have a couple of more bites at that apple, but the thing always seemed just out of reach.
Today I had an opportunity to return to the mansion under some different circumstances. The folks who would eventually buy said property kindly donated some things to our church and I had the opportunity to help pick them up.
I have a great deal of empathy for people these days and today I'm also cognizant of the meaning, "there but for the Grace of God go I." Sometimes no can be a big blessing. At the time, I sure didn't think so, but with an opportunity to look back on the whole thing, maybe it worked out for us for the best.
Last week's lesson was all about giving. This week's was about having my eyes opened. Some things I can see clearly, and others, well, sometimes I feel like I can see the men but they look like trees moving around. Yesterday was a day like that. I saw some things and took a step, only to get smacked back down. But as a little facebook meme I saw the other day reminded me: "It's awfully hard to save someone who's drowning when they keep going back into the ocean."
Sometimes it pleases God to hide things from us. I think about the two who were walking down the road with Jesus but were prevented from recognizing Him. Sometimes we can't see clearly at the time but later on we get a chance to look back and see that God was busy in our lives even when we were far from Him. I thought that lesson was going to take another form, but maybe today's experience was what He meant.
Again, I don't know. I just know today I'm thankful for His divine intervention. Sometimes failure turns into blessings, and today I count myself blessed. I'm happy for me, sad for others, and grateful that God loved me enough to say "no".
Some people never learn, the deleted comment started out with. My reply: "yup".
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, and something else just came to me while I was sitting here watching basketball... to whoever posted the comment and to those that saw it before it was deleted. I talked about the flood in the basement, but never told why I asked God for the wrong thing in the first place.
ReplyDeleteNow you know!