Good morning…
In the cozy gray comfort of everyday life, I love the way God’s light shines on our bathtub around 5:00 pm, evening after evening.
Earlier in the week, I snapped this photo before heading to a friend’s home to be with the grieving husband of a girlfriend who had died of cancer last month. To remind a small group of us about this gathering, an email reminder had popped up in my inbox around 3:30 pm, and I surprised myself by being the first to arrive at 5:27 pm, three minutes early. As I stood on her doorstep, all seemed quite quiet, and when I rang the doorbell her dog took a few moments to trot down the stairs to greet me through the glass. It took a few more moments before I saw my friend’s feet walking down the stairs, her hand then opening the door with a bewildered smile, “Oh, Sue, the gathering was last Tuesday. I’m sorry. But please come in.” (Then where had this random late afternoon email reminder come from?)
Full of grace, she welcomed me into her home, mistake and all, and we sipped ice water on her newly renovated back porch to catch up on life. Referring to our recent post, she told me of her own Easter morning meltdown. Then she described to me a similar dilemma her big “I” was now facing. An odd situation had just unraveled. She had been asked months ago to be the keynote speaker at an annual conference and then, strangely, awkwardly she was subtly uninvited. She rattled off the long list of feelings her big “I” had been harboring ever since she had gotten the phone call earlier in the day. Anger. Confusion. Frustration. Embarrassment. Defensiveness. Should I just give up on this ministry? After telling me the whole story, she asked, “Sue, what do you think is going on?”
“I think God is up to something big,” I heard myself say, surprising us both. Whenever things are odd and strange, awkward and confusing, I believe God is actively at work. I have learned over the years that our LORD’s fingerprints are often all over weird, unexplainable situations. God must discombobulate our own expectations if God is to bring about His divine, greater will.
“Your life-work has always been a God-thing, and I wonder if God is changing up the timing, opening up new avenues, setting up a roadblock so your ministry can expand exactly where, when, and how God envisions,” I continued. We unpacked various possibilities and felt life-giving joy rise up from her despair. As she ushered me out the door one hour later, we both agreed, “This was a divine mistake.”
Later that night I emailed her: “I loved our divine mistake. A memorable conversation. Loved seeing the renovation of your home and of your heart. Have a good evening.”
Soon after she emailed back: “You beat me to the email! Indeed, it was a divine mistake – but I call it a divine appointment. I’ve felt peace since we spoke, and feel so humbled that God would care enough about my life-work to help me sort through my maze of hurt feelings and negative thoughts, and point me back to Him!”
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?…The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! (Romans 8:31, 32, 35a, MSG).
…Sue…
