In a recent week my schedule rolled downhill like a log before an avalanche, the planned activities cancelled before they had a chance to see daylight. With each change came a strange sense of loss, my busy life suspended, dwindling to a list of commitments as full of holes as a slice of Swiss cheese.
Waiting for a new turn of events loomed like an eternity, this sudden change of order leaving me feeling more than a little perplexed. Negativity followed.
God was way ahead of me.
I opened my Bible to my next study passage—Psalm 139: 1,2: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” Uh-oh. Busted. Feeling guilty, I asked God to rein in my thoughts..
God wasn’t finished.
I next read a favorite blog. The author wrote how time can stand still while we wait for something to happen. Using Jesus’ early life as an example, he pointed out that little of the Lord’s childhood, other than the cameo appearance at the Temple, is recorded. It’s as if Jesus lived in the shadows, waiting, until at age thirty he walked into the Jordan river, was baptized, and world history was changed forever.
God finished with me a short time later.
A writing colleague posted a piece which emphasized making use of moments—when we’re not creating text, editing, and waiting—doing things where we shine. No deed is without merit in God’s scheme of things. I responded by taking a birthday gift to a friend and cooking a meal for a neighbor. Satisfying tasks.
The next time your life takes a turn down an unknown path, stop like I did and consider what God is teaching you. He has gone before you and cleared the way. If your life looks as empty as a flour sack invaded by mice, check the corners. Enough ingredients may remain to make a biscuit to share. You’ll be as blessed as I was.