This month several changes have come my way. My sister, who I spend a great deal of time with, had an unfortunate accident and has had a complete shoulder replacement. Instead of Christmas shopping, baking (who am I trying to kid?), wrapping presents, and decorating, I have been spending a lot of time at the hospital and now, rehab center, with her. I am not complaining. I WANT to be with her. But it's not how I thought my December would go.
A few days ago it became apparent that I was going to have to be hostess, in my home, for my family's Christmas party. This Saturday. In two days. On four days notice. Another curve ball.
THE UNEXPECTED is a part of life and I have found that how I deal with it is part of the growth process in my walk with Christ. I think about Mary, and the unexpected news that (WHAT???) she is going to have a baby. How unexpected was that, especially since she was a virgin! Talk about things not always going as planned. Here is Mary's reaction to her surprising visit by an angel, in my view: first she was a little startled ("she was greatly troubled at this statement and kept pondering what kind of greeting this might be"); then, she asked a question ("How can this be, since I am a virgin?") Finally, she accepted the situation she found herself in ("be it done to me according to your word")
Confession: I have not always handled disruptions to my life and my schedule and my agenda in this manner. Grumbling and whining usually come first, with panic overwhelming me next. On good days, turning to God to rescue me follows when those two reactions send me deeper into despair/dismay/denial.
Here is a prayer I wrote over a year ago when the unexpected plunged me into unknown territory:
"Lord, You know my mountain. This is not the path I would have chosen. I release this mountain to You. Please flood me with your peace. Thank you Lord for the creative way You will use to work this out. Thank you that every good and perfect gift comes from You. Please use this situation to bring glory to Your name. Mold us and shape us to be more like You through this. Amen"
1 comment:
Last Friday did not go according to my plan at all. I had a lot to accomplish in a very small window of time (while Isaiah was at school for two hours). My car ended up with a flat tire and it threw off the entire day. Literally, the whole day felt like a mistake. I was not happy about it. In fact, I was quite upset. I'm sure God had some reason for everything that happened, even though I don't know why. So that's a good example of how not to react to unplanned events. =)
Post a Comment