There are times I'd like a Help Desk number for heaven. Some things are quite clear: treat people with respect and don't commit fraud and make choices that conform to my personal ethical standards...I get all that.
But sometimes it is just not that clear but choices we make result in SUCH different opportunities. I remember when my kids were young and we decided it was time to buy a house. We looked and prayed and weighed options and consulted with our real estate agent and family and made a choice that did not pan out and we were back to looking. Finally we found a house almost by accident and things worked out to buy it. Because we lived in the area over a number of years and had children in school we came to understand why it was a blessing that the first choice, passionately though we wanted it, would have been less helpful for us.
The neighborhood we moved to provided us with new friendships, and school, sports, church and community connections that, though not very far in miles from our earlier home, opened doors we had not even noticed before.
The same thing could be said for jobs not offered versus new jobs and the connections and experiences they bring.
So is it all just random? No matter where you land it is going to just as good if you accidentally buy a home a few houses down from a meth lab versus a few doors down from praying friends who are supportive during some very dark days? If one job has a bunch of party hardy employees and the other has folks who enjoy their young families, does it matter where I work when my marriage is going through a rocky time?
I am so very grateful that I have a relationship with a God who is my heavenly father, who has promised to be bigger than my fears and challenges, who sees the future and arranges options in the today that can make the tomorrow's better. In the words of Garth Brooks, "I thank God for unanswered prayers" where I am focused on what I want, but God is focused on what I need in the bigger picture.
But sometimes it is just not that clear but choices we make result in SUCH different opportunities. I remember when my kids were young and we decided it was time to buy a house. We looked and prayed and weighed options and consulted with our real estate agent and family and made a choice that did not pan out and we were back to looking. Finally we found a house almost by accident and things worked out to buy it. Because we lived in the area over a number of years and had children in school we came to understand why it was a blessing that the first choice, passionately though we wanted it, would have been less helpful for us.
The neighborhood we moved to provided us with new friendships, and school, sports, church and community connections that, though not very far in miles from our earlier home, opened doors we had not even noticed before.
The same thing could be said for jobs not offered versus new jobs and the connections and experiences they bring.
So is it all just random? No matter where you land it is going to just as good if you accidentally buy a home a few houses down from a meth lab versus a few doors down from praying friends who are supportive during some very dark days? If one job has a bunch of party hardy employees and the other has folks who enjoy their young families, does it matter where I work when my marriage is going through a rocky time?
I am so very grateful that I have a relationship with a God who is my heavenly father, who has promised to be bigger than my fears and challenges, who sees the future and arranges options in the today that can make the tomorrow's better. In the words of Garth Brooks, "I thank God for unanswered prayers" where I am focused on what I want, but God is focused on what I need in the bigger picture.
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