Perfect mistakes

Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

There was a carpenter building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpahe had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was really upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this."

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at the man’s small church in Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses wedged between two blankets.

The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that."

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking Him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, "Thank you, God, for not allowing my car to start this morning." He may have been saving your life from a car accident. "Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me lose my glasses; I'm sure they'll be put to good use or there is a lesson to be learned."

Always look for the "perfect mistakes."

Dear Lord, help us to look at the good in things. Help us to learn the lessons we can learn from the things that happen to us in life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

God has a unique plan for your life.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It’s so easy to feel like you don’t measure up to others. You can see the things other people are posting on social media and if you’re not careful, you can begin to think that your life isn’t that exciting, or doesn’t matter. The truth however, is that you were created for an awesome purpose.

God sees you as someone that is important. You are His handiwork, that means He cares about you and has an interest in you. He cares what you’re up to and He’s created you to do something good.

God has a unique plan for your life. He wants to use you to touch other people and to make a difference in your world. There are people around you that need to know about Jesus. God wants to use you to touch them and show them Jesus. God has so much in store for you to do. So don’t give into the lies that you’re not important, or you’re not as talented as someone else around you. Chose to believe what God says about you, that you’re created to do good things!

Dear Lord, we thank You that You created us with special gifts and talents.  Help us to see them and use them for You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

There’s a reason for your existence.

Isaiah 44:2 (ESV)

Thus says the Lord who made you,

    who formed you from the womb and will help you:

Fear not, O Jacob my servant,

    Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

She had never met him before, but she cared for him as if he was the most important person in the world.

Ann* knew she was going to be a single mother in eight months. While she regretted the unfortunate decision that produced the baby inside her, she didn’t begrudge the fact that new life was being produced by her. She ate healthy, got sufficient rest, avoided substances that could harm her and her child, visited the doctor regularly, watched her weight, and took vitamins. All things an expectant mother should do to ensure a healthy baby. Nine months later, Sam* entered the world. A healthy boy with shining skin and smile to match. Ann’s not sure what his purpose is yet, but she’s confident God has one.

Like Sam, my birth wasn’t a product of fate or evolution either. God was in control of when I entered this world and had a plan for what I’d do when I did. Fate doesn’t control my existence. While my parents had a role in my birth, they were only instruments in the hands of a mightier Power. Many children are accidents from a parent’s perspective but never from God’s. He can take a human accident and make a masterpiece from it. In fact, there aren’t any accidents in God’s plan.

The first humans were placed on earth for a reason, and everyone since then has followed suit. I’m in the mix. I have purpose. There’s a reason for my existence. God has work for me to do, people for me to influence, and blessings for me to enjoy. 

Have you discovered the purpose for which you were born?

Dear Lord, may we be the clay in Your hands, allowing You to mold our minds, wills, and emotions that they might fit into Your purpose. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Are You seeking God's Plan?

Philippians 3:20 (New International Version)

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we look at life and how things are going are we looking at it from the viewpoint of what I want or from God’s perspective of what is best? Things can change in a twinkle of an eye as is shown in the following story.

One snowy morning, I left church with a simple "to do" list. It included "Go to church, go home, and relax with the family." Nowhere on the list was "fishtail around an icy curve, become airborne, flip my van, barely miss a telephone pole, puncture the gas tank, and crash upside down in a cow pasture." But that’s just what I did.

My plans flew out the shattered windshield, as I peered out at the world upside down. (Does it turn your world upside down when things don’t go as you’d planned?) Amid the odorous cow pies, I observed a herd of hefty Holsteins hot-footing it away from the accordion-shaped vehicle, which had sailed over the barbed wire fence.

This was not my idea of a fun afternoon. There I was, standing on my head, trying to pry open a door that was scrunched into the side of a hill. I smelled gas leaking into the van and I heard my knees knocking. As I pulled glass shards from my head, I envisioned this gas-filled time bomb exploding and blasting me heavenward like a circus clown from a canon. All I could do was tremble and pray. Once again, life had happened while I was making other plans.

While I did not fly to the moon, and my van did not explode, I was rescued by a passing motorist and whisked away in an ambulance to the Emergency Room. As is often the case, my plans changed in the blink of an eye.

When I think I've planned for all the details and I lay out the perfect blueprint for my life, here’s what usually happens: The reality bird comes along and lays an ugly, giant egg in the middle of my agenda!

I've learned that, rather than falling into place, life will more likely fall to pieces. It’s like an ice cream cone. I might think I have it licked; but then it drips all over me.

"But," I say to myself, "Life wasn't supposed to be this way!" I don’t know about you, but I planned to stay healthy/wealthy/young/beautiful/married/happy/unwrinkled, stretch mark free, and flabbiness forever. (You can fill in your own blanks.)

Most people think God wants them to have an easy, comfortable life, getting what they want when they want it. While it’s true that God enjoys giving good things to His children, they’re often not physical things. He wants to provide invisible gifts, such as a closer relationship with Him.

God’s ultimate goal is for me to become like Him. That doesn't happen when everything’s rosy.

When my plans change, I tend to forget that God has a higher goal for me than just a life of ease. He wants to work on my heart and build my character. I believe God cares about my struggles and He hurts when I hurt, but what is most important to Him is developing in me faith, patience, goodness, and gentleness. In other words, God wants to make me like Jesus. Though He doesn't cause struggles and hardships, He uses them to accomplish His goals for my life.

This one is just a rehearsal designed to prepare us for the real thing.

When my plans don’t succeed, I ask what God’s plan might be. Could it be that He allowed a certain situation to redirect my focus? Could He be trying to get my tunnel vision off myself? Maybe He wants to lead me toward a closer relationship with Him.

Instead of telling God my plan and making Him laugh, maybe I should seek to know His plan and make Him smile.

Dear Lord we thank you that You are in control even when things look like they are falling apart. We pray that our trust in You would stay strong. In Jesus’ name, Amen.