Okay, Wednesdays will be wordy! So, prepare yourself mentally. But I'll throw in a couple pics, to keep it interesting.
My kids were nearby playing, so I showed it to them. I asked Kees what he thought was happening in the picture. He said, "It looks like God, and a little girl." I asked him what was behind the man's back and what he was wanting the girl to do. Kees could see that if the girl gave up her small bear, God (Jesus) had a better one for her.
This picture struck me for a couple of reasons. The first thing I was thinking about was a conversation I had with a friend recently about being "in between". Sometimes, we go through the hard step of giving something up, not knowing what's next. But, unlike this picture makes it seem, the next thing isn't necessarily forthcoming. Then comes doubt. You might think, "I gave up my favorite and very best thing, and now I have nothing."
Do you know what I've found, it's the "standing there with nothing" times when you learn to trust the giver. It isn't about what you had or what you will have, but about our great God who holds it all in his hands.
"He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17 NASB
In the last couple weeks, I know many who have lost loved ones, given up on a dream, or experienced an extremely difficult time. And they're waiting. They loved what they had, and can only cling to the hope of the future, that isn't here yet. For some it's the hope of seeing their loved ones again, for others, it's waiting to see how God will provide for their family and direct their path. That's a terrible and wonderful place to be in. I know from experience that God is absolutely faithful and more than able to carry them through. The key is to stay focused on HIM, not on the past and what is lost, and not on a day to come. That doesn't mean that we don't mourn, it just means, when looking backward and forward, keep HIM in mind. He was there, in the past, and he's there in the future.
I've struggled myself, missing Thailand. Some days it's looming, threatening to consume my day. And each time, I have to willingly choose to thank God, for the time we had, and remind myself of how far he brought us. I don't think God wants us to forget the past or never think of it. I think he wants us to fully depend on his word, where it says,
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 NASB
When I look back, it's a mixture of great joy and sorrow. And some things that I'm not even sure how to categorize. When I catch myself demanding answers about all the little things and wanting to know why each and every thing happened the way it did, I stop, and remember, it's not mine to decide. God can take care of it, and good or bad and everything it between, HE is good enough, strong enough, big enough, and faithful enough to make it good, somehow.
There are so many things he's already shown me, how HE worked things for my good. And some things, I'm still unsure. But my trust is in HIM, and HE has shown me more than enough for me to know that he is trustworthy.
(Okay, in classic Kellee form, I said there were 2 things, and never got to the second, maybe next week, I'll do the second half. Didn't want to get TOO wordy!)
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