As I
took off for a jog last night, I was pondering a couple of things. A) How far
would I need to run to make up for all the fast food I consumed over the
weekend? And B) what shall I blog out about tomorrow? Hoping to burn off some
burritos and find a little divine inspiration, I hit the road. Besides the fact that I'm out of shape, the following is
what I was reminded of…
God’s timing is
not always my timing. To be clear, God’s timing is perfect and I am not! Midway through my
jog, during the darkest section of the route and while running at a pretty good
clip, I was greatly startled by a deer that passed right in front of me. Coming
down from a steep cliff on my right, the white-tail crossed just about 35 feet
in front of me before leaping over a seven foot fence on the other side of the
street. Once I processed what I had witnessed and regained my breath, I started
to laugh to myself because just moments earlier I had prayed that I might see
something awesome. While I would have preferred a heads ups, that did clearly fit
the bill as awe-inspiring and so I began to consider possible blog titles for
today: Deerly Beloved, As the Deer, Pass
the Buck, Fo Real Doe.
Isn’t
that how it often works? We seek something spectacular! We desire for the Lord
to grow us and show us more of Himself but only when we’re ready for it. So
whether through obstacles or opportunities presented, God shows His all-sufficient
grace and faithfulness to us, yet not always on our timetable. And I’m talking about
something bigger than a Bambi blog here. Many of the events and experiences
that have shaped my faith were not in the forecast or even on my radar at the time nor would I have
ever asked for them. However, God in His sovereignty saw fit to reveal Himself
to me in just those ways, but more on that later.
I was
again reminded that uncertainty is not a legitimate thing to fear. I found that
there was plenty I could be on edge about. Perhaps a rabid armadillo, a
fully-loaded skunk, a dog on the loose, bad drivers…the list was endless. Or I
could simply enjoy the journey. I could soak up the sights and sounds of a cool
spring evening. I could think on truth and the goodness that was present, and fear
not because of this fact…
The unexpected is
often the most inspiring. While quite unnerving, the unanticipated parts of my
run were some of the most praiseworthy. Hearing the deer’s hooves hit the
pavement before seeing it glide past and into the air seemingly effortlessly,
was just really cool. I later observed an owl swooping overhead and a beautiful
arrangement of clouds reflecting some of the city’s lights. None of the moments
were planned by me but each uniquely stirred in me a gratitude for our Creator that
He would let me have those experiences.
So here
is what I’m challenged to consider…Will I let go of my demands and trust
in the Lord’s sovereign timing? Will I release my fears? Instead of being
frightened of my inadequacies as a parent, spouse, and leader, will I rest in
who He is and who He will make me? And will I have the spiritual eyes to see what
He’s doing in and through my life and family?
Many of
you are fearful of what’s ahead. No one modeled faith to you when you were
growing-up. The uncertainty and lack of details is overwhelming. For some there
are unplanned trials you are being forced to embrace, things that were not on
the last calendaring meeting that you must deal with today. May I encourage you
that His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) and His timing is perfect (Romans
5:6, Acts 4:27-28, 2 Peter 3:8-9) and if you hold to these truths, perhaps you’ll
be able to look back one day and be inspired by the work He achieved through this
season of life.
Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
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