Category Archives: God’s plans for us

We have no idea.

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Each morning when we wake up, we look at the ceiling above us and run through our plans for that day, even though we have no idea what might unfold. By the time our heads are back on the pillow looking up at the ceiling that night, it may have all panned out differently.

Take today, for example. If my cottage had a revolving door, it would never be still. Louisa left this morning, returning Saturday. That was just about the time Klaus arrived, leaving an hour later. Nelson departs tomorrow, returning Sunday. Hans and family called today to confirm airplane arrivals from England, and Linnea’s family is firming up another visit from Florida. Lars comes and goes from Chicago, and Birgitta and I are in and out daily.

As the front door opens and closes, each arrival and departure is loosely based on our calendars and date books, and all of us have expectations for every day. But what if our plans don’t click quite right? What if something goes wrong?

When Klaus left this afternoon he said, “See you tonight!” but when he arrived, it was with an unidentifiable racket that reverberated through the neighborhood. As he turned into our driveway, the ball joint from his front wheel snapped off the frame of his car, throwing it sideways and bringing him to a screeching stop, metal on asphalt.

When we saw the wheel, it was evident God had prevented a terrible accident. Most of Klaus’ driving is done on roads with a limit of 70 mph. Had the wheel come off at that speed, the car’s response would have been chaotic and catastrophic with him inside. All we could say was, “Wow….”

Scripture tells us God watches over our comings and goings. It doesn’t say he always prevents accidents or brings us to our destination every time, but he does promise to watch, noticing everything that happens to us. And because he uses his great power to affect change, we probably have no idea how many accidents he has averted for us. Tonight he let us identify one of them.

What confuses us is that some accidents God doesn’t prevent. Others he does. We know he has significant reasons for each of his choices, but that can be hard for us to swallow. The disasters he doesn’t prevent impact us heavily, and without understanding the why’s behind them, we bristle with frustration and anger. But it’s important to recognize that many of the accidents he does prevent are unknown to us. We have no idea how many there are, and we don’t give him credit for any of those.

Tonight I do want to give him credit for protecting Klaus and for planning for his wheel to fall off while going 7 mph instead of 70.

Thank you so much, Lord, for today, and for all those other times you protected us when we were unaware.

“The Lord will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

 

Needing Help

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Tonight my blog site has a few additions: the cover of my book and a photo of Jack and me at the beach. My accommodating son-in-law, Adam, has faithfully managed www.GettingThroughThis.com since its inception three years ago and has been my go-to guy for problems of any kind.

Now, as a result of his fine work, my little devotional book is available in the margin and can be ordered by clicking on any of the web addresses beneath its picture. It will be ready for shipping next week, and my prayer has been and will continue to be that people who are swamped with grief over losing a mate will secure a copy and be uplifted by the short daily devotionals inside.

When I first posted on this web site, I had no idea I’d one day write a book that would be available in the margin. But then again I had no idea back then that widowhood would be the subject line. Of course God saw all of that and even now sees what might be posted in the margin next year at this same time. None of us should put anything past God’s doing.

One thing I’ve learned, though, is that whenever God puts opportunity in our path, he also puts helpers and encouragers there, too. Adam has been both of those for me in my relationship with this web site. Over time he has good-naturedly taught me how to use its features, and that has meant many repeated explanations of the same web task, over and over.

But Adam is a patient young man, and never once has he criticized his non-techy mother-in-law for being a slow learner. Because of that I don’t ever hesitate to ask him new questions, and I never worry he might respond harshly. God was the one who put him next to me in this web undertaking, and in these three years I’ve gotten to know him well enough to believe that even when I’m not around, he isn’t complaining about me. The fact that he married into our family was, as Nate often said, “a home run.”

Adam has taught us all by his example. He’s been willing to be used of the Lord in the lives of others, and because of that, God has used him. And the good news is that any of us can follow suit and experience that same lofty privilege of being a tool in God’s hands. So if we want our lives to count for something valuable, something permanent, all we need to do is tell the Master, “I’m available” (as Adam has), and God will do the rest.

“If anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21)

Going to Extremes

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When I was in high school, Chicago’s O’Hare airport had the distinction of being “the busiest airport in the world.” My good friend Lynn and I, for lack of anything better to do, sometimes enjoyed a Friday evening at the airport watching (and analyzing) the steady parade of travelers.

Since there were no security checks in the 1960’s, we’d watch the boards for plane arrivals and then head for the gate as passengers disembarked. One of us would slip into the crowd coming off the plane, then squeal and scream when we saw each other, in a bogus reunion. Watching strangers respond was entertaining, and it didn’t cost a penny.

Fifty years have passed since then, and now no one gets to a gate without a boarding pass. We live in a day of terrorism, and to cooperate with airport safety, we have to undress to pass through security. “Remove your shoes, belts, hats, jackets, watches and jewelry, even pocket change.” Men have to clutch their pants as they walk through metal detectors, nervous they’ll be asked to hold their arms out for a wanding.

But there’s fresh hope for improvement in this overkill process. While waiting in a security line before my last plane trip, I saw something new, a giant poster that said, “Attention Passengers 75 and Older. If you were born on or before today’s date in 1937, you can leave your light jacket and shoes on during screening in this checkpoint.”

Finally! A reasonable idea.

Our country is famous for going to extremes, and we love criticizing and teasing about it. But truth be told, most of us find ourselves lured to excessiveness once in a while, too. If some is good, more must be better. If cutting back is wise, then having none is wiser.

In one sense, even Scripture promotes extremes:

  • It says we should willingly lose our lives to God in order to gain them back.
  • When God purged the Israelite camp of sin, he destroyed men, women, children, and even their animals.
  • Jesus said, “If you want to follow me, forsake everything else first.”

But other Scriptures encourage us to walk a middle line: “Moderation is better than muscle, self-control better than political power.” (Proverbs 16:32)

So what are we to do? What standard should guide us?

The answer is in “the who.” If it’s something that’s between God and us, we have to comply with the extremes he requires; we’re either all-in, or all-out.

But if it’s something strictly human, he encourages moderation: not too much rest but just enough; not too much work but just enough; not too much food but just enough.

I guess that should go for airport security measures, too. Caution is good, but undressing is extreme. And screaming in bogus airport reunions? Downright foolishness.

“Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise… Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool… It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.” (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18)