But God said 'no.'
Or maybe it was 'wait.' I'm not quite sure.
Bottom line? God's answer was not the 'yes' I was hoping for. I shed a few tears and whined {just a bit} as I sifted through the morning's events with my oh-so-long-suffering husband.
And then Francesca Battistelli shared truth with me last night. Through a song. I was reminded again that all things work together for good for those that love God {Romans 8:28}. And that His ways are so much higher and deeper than anything I can get my hands around {Isaiah 55:8}.
That's because He's God. And I'm not.
Life happens. And when we're frustrated, disappointed, or hurt, we always have the power to choose how we will respond. We can ask Him for a clearer perspective. Or recall the countless times when He has been faithful, grace-filled, and merciful. We can settle ourselves down and be still and know that He is God {Psalm 46:10}. And that He is wise enough and strong enough to redeem whatever seems to be hopeless {Joel 2:25-26}. To use those things to expand our trust in Him and draw us oh-so-closer to His loving heart.
Or ...
We can sit in the corner and moan and groan and pout. We can endlessly wring our hands and allow 'if only,' 'why me,' and other useless mantras to play over and over in our heads.
'This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use
So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
It's not the end of the world'
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use
So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
It's not the end of the world'
Learning patience, oh-so-slowly ~
Linda
It's hard not to get what we want so badly! But when God says No I trust that is because He has something far bigger and better planned for me than I could have imagined :)
ReplyDeleteWhat I thought was 'no' has turned out to be 'not now' on more than one occasion.
ReplyDeleteAnd there were usually some life-altering lessons I needed to absorb during those unsettling times in the waiting room ...
Thanks for stopping by, Stephanie!
I LOVE that song! And two of my boys sing it over and over.
ReplyDeleteAnd the video is simply top notch ... and it makes me smile!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your disappointment. But I am proud of you and proud of God ... as you worked through it.
ReplyDeleteOur disappointments sure pale in view of His master plan ...
ReplyDeleteThanks for droppinb by, Glenda ...
Yes, life we can't control, but our response to life's challenges.... oh yes, we do! Thanks for this!!!
ReplyDeleteCome check out my list of 100 Smoothies! Comment if you'd like on which one is you favorite!
Love, Traci @ Ordinary Inspirations http://www.ordinaryinspirations.blogspot.com/2012/04/100-smoothie-recipes.html
Oh this song has ministered to me a lot lately. In fact...its my ring tone on my phone...which is perfect because I truly lose it a lot! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhen there's way too much on my plate, that's when I tend to lose track of stuff, forget to follow through on something that needed to be done, or am unattentive to the people I care about.
ReplyDeleteOh ... to BE STILL!
Thanks, Brenda ...
Great post, I understand your frustrations, I've had them too. But, your post made me smile at the same time.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless
The song brought a smile to my heart and gave me a bit of kick in the pants. My everyday stuff is certainly not the end of the world!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping in ...
hat video was fun to watch and I just had one of those weeks: smoke alarms going off for no reason, developed walking pneumonia, and my car would not start so I could get to the doctors...UGHHHHHHHH!
ReplyDeleteBut as God pulled me out of self-pity, I realized everything worked out......He is truly there even when we don't "see" Him.
Nothing like a smoke alarm to get us into high alert!
ReplyDeleteBe well ...