In My Opinion
By L.N.P.

"Ask Yourself This"

The other day when I awakened it was, for a moment, as though I was seeing my life from above. Not from God’s viewpoint–I wouldn’t presume to claim that–but it was an overview, maybe even a small glimpse of God’s plan for my life. Usually, I’m so focused on the immediate, on what I have to accomplish today, or what lingers to concern me from yesterday, that I’m not really inclined to look at my life as a continuum. Even when I try, it’s pretty difficult to string together the pieces, to discern any overall pattern. But this morning I had a rare treat; for a moment I saw it all.

The Bible tells us time and again that even our struggles will result in a good outcome, so we should take joy in them. We’re also reminded constantly about God’s timing, which is often completely different from ours. If our prayers are answered, then Praise the Lord. And, if it seems as though our prayers were ignored….well, that’s just God’s timing, or there’s a reason for it, which is God’s to know and ours to try to figure out.

On top of that, we’re told that sometimes God tests us by allowing us to go through trials we won’t understand at the time but that through perseverance will build our character and give us hope. That hope must be kept alive; it’s what sustains us. When I’m feeling particularly petulant, I marvel at the ingenuity of such a system; almost as though some brilliant master strategist had figured out a way to cover all the bases and keep us content.

The other morning, though, I wasn’t feeling at all petulant: I was experiencing my “view from above.” Somehow, I was seeing events that had seemed terrible at the time–hurtful, unfair, devastating even–connected to their eventual outcomes, and the juxtaposition was awesome. Suddenly I realized that nothing that had happened in the past had occurred without a purpose, and everything that had seemed bad had resulted in a good outcome. It was all part of a continuum, and the event and its outcome appeared to me as one, bridging the years that separated them in earthly time by the miracle of God’s time, which knows no such boundaries.

It was a momentous morning for us, even without my minor epiphany. My husband and I had just learned that we'd been blessed by a situation that will help insure our future financial security, something we would never have dreamed possible even three months ago. For the last six years we’ve struggled, living from paycheck to paycheck, month to month. We’ve learned to live economically, we’ve learned the difference between things we need and things we want; we’ve been molded and refined. We couldn’t even begin to worry about the future; all we could do is trust that somehow, God would provide. Then this unbelievable opportunity came along, and just like that we found ourselves perfectly positioned; we had exactly the right combination of experience, maturity and friendships to take advantage of it.

I had no trouble seeing God at work in this situation-the pieces came together in a way that, for me, was too miraculous to be just an “amazing coincidence.” But I certainly hadn’t seen God’s hand in what had preceded this event-the unscrupulous betrayal years ago, our subsequent persecution by an uncaring bureaucracy, the financial devastation that it caused, the loss of our home, our entire savings, the humiliation of starting from scratch at our age with nothing to show for our years and years of effort, and a small website design company as our only means of support. But that was in the past; we’d put it behind us and been changed because of it.

The other morning, though, it struck me that without all of that, none of what is happening now could have happened. I finally could see the two events as one-part of God’s plan; without the struggles, there would have been no opportunity. It all had to happen, because every single component of that struggle is what caused this blessing to occur.

The loss of my own job, after eighteen years of dedication, was another event that flashed before my eyes…..a wrenching away from all I knew, more duplicity, more hurt, the final financial blow. But without that happening, I would have remained in a dying industry, never stepping out of my comfort zone and never joining forces with my husband in the then frighteningly unfamiliar territory of website design. We’ve made an awesome team, and for that I am grateful. But almost at once I realized that were it not for that seemingly terrible ordeal, the good outcome happening now could also never have happened.

Then, in rapid succession, other people and events came to mind-I saw how I would never have met my husband, the love of my life, had it not been for a very precise series of difficult and painful events that ultimately put me in the right place at the right time for us to meet. At the time I thought it was good fortune smiling upon me, but now I believe that it was God doing the smiling. He had a plan for both of us all along; we just didn’t know it.

A friendship I had that seemed broken, destroyed beyond hope, restored to something deeper because of the brokenness. Someone I knew who was desperate, too crushed to continue, strengthened because of her desperation. A marriage in crisis, the pain almost intolerable, blooming into a more committed relationship because of the pain. I’m sure that in none of those situations those involved took joy in their trials; that’s a pretty tall task when you can’t foresee the end results. In fact, the majority of us are surprised when an awful situation eventually results in a good outcome; most don’t ever see the connection. But what if God does; what if it’s part of his plan for our lives?

Recently, I’ve learned to endure struggles with far less anxiety than before, repeating to myself the apostle Paul’s words: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” I’ve learned to give thanks for the small daily blessings, the things we often take for granted. I’ve come to understand that God does grant my requests and more; he gives me peace-a peace that “transcends all understanding” through the most difficult of times. And I’ve learned that it is in those difficult times that I become stronger, learning what I need to learn in order to grow emotionally and spiritually.

But it’s taken me a bit longer to recognize that there IS a master strategist, and it’s O.K., in fact it’s liberating to trust in him. Look back on your own lives if you doubt me. What struggles have you faced? Now consider how they changed the course of your life and decide if the ultimate outcome was a good one. Coincidence, you say? The self-help book-of-the-month? Your own hard work and excellent decision-making skills? Perhaps, I say, but that’s not a whole lot to hang a life on.

Or maybe you’re going through a difficult time right now. If you believed with all your heart that it was absolutely necessary to go through it in order to reach the good outcome on the other side–even if it’s still years away–could you endure it with more patience, maybe even more peace? I know what the answer is for me; I could and I will. Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’ll probably still get angry, frustrated, disappointed-we humans tend to do that. But in the end I know I’ll learn what I need to learn from the struggles, and wait in faith for the good outcome. I’ve had a glimpse of the overall plan so I know how it works. I put my trust, and my life, in God’s hands.

In what, or in whom, do you put your trust? Whatever your answer, ask yourself this; is it WORTHY enough to deserve that trust? Is it loving, merciful, giving, powerful, faithful, enduring, PERFECT enough?

Is it enough to hang your life on?

Send me your opinions at LParis@netlistings.com