God’s Purpose Prevails

One weekend in March I was supposed to go with my husband to help at the Ellel Ministries centre in Holland, but I was recovering from the flu and the infections that sometimes come with it. At first I was disappointed not to be able to go, but then I realised I was also very tired.

When my husband set off on his own it was snowing. He had concerns about the roads and the traffic accidents which were delaying some travellers, so he decided to be wise and go earlier to compensate for the road conditions.

After he’d gone I looked out at the beautiful snowflakes of God’s creation, and it reminded me of how we’re like these snowflakes, all unique in their form. Did you know that no two snowflakes are alike? I didn’t have to go out in the traffic, so I was seeing the snowflakes from a different perspective.

At that moment God seemed to prompt my heart about His perspective on things. Fear and concerns can come in when we realise we have a situation before us which has altered what we were planning to do, and when things happen around us which we didn’t expect.
The road conditions that day weren’t good, but when the conditions change we have to adapt. My husband was alert enough to the circumstances on the road to make a decision to travel early, and I realised I was too tired and sick to go anywhere. This seed got written while I was home sick, stopping my activity to be able to consider what was happening around and in me.

I often see and hear the angry motorists when they’re delayed on their travels, so I wondered whether it mattered that the snow slowed everybody down? To some, yes. Appointments were missed, and expectations weren’t met. The ones who didn’t slow down that day may have been stopped for a lot longer due to accidents. Acceptance of unforeseen circumstances is difficult for us all, but accepting them reminds us that we’re not in control.

The pushing and pulling of this world we live in can put us on the treadmill of activity very quickly, but our unmet needs can be crying out to be heard. I was stopped that day and took time out to rest, heal and listen to God.

When we stop we can take time to seek God’s perspective on what’s happening. We can ask ourselves whether we should be slowing down, going on to another road or just not travelling at all. Accepting the Lord’s in control, even when there’s no answer to our questions may mean we are meant to receive strength and patience for the road we are on, or it may mean we are to go off the road and have a long pit stop for repair.

Oh how I long for my plans to be in line with God’s, and not be pushed and pulled around with the world’s spirit, and to be alert enough all the time to make the right choices for who I am in Christ in this life. But often sickness or tiredness has to come to stop me before I take notice. I'm glad to have such a gracious Father God who meets me when I stop to listen.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to get a deeper understanding of what it means to trust You in changing circumstances. Keep us alert to what’s going on around us, so we can receive Your wisdom when making decisions for our lives. Help us to recognise the warning signs when we need to come to You to have our needs met, in Jesus’s name, Amen.