Out of Control?

As we look around this world in which we exist, those of us who know God on a very personal level know that we will not truly 'live' until we see Him face-to-face. Until that day, we are forced to 'live' in a world where very unfortunate things happen. Not necessarily for any particular reason or purpose, but just because we live in a fallen world. Hurricanes come and bring destruction, loved ones die, and life changes into a shape we didn't expect. What a morbid way to start a blog, huh? The unique and wonderful thing is that's not the end. Life doesn't end there. That's not the end of the rainbow.

God is in control. We have to remember that as life swirls around us. Nothing in His mighty hand goes unnoticed. What awesome hope to know that this life is not all that there is. This is not as good as it gets.

This week has brought a series of events that have happened, not to me personally, but to others around me. If I were without hope and not grounded by my relationship with Christ, I would think that the world was coming to an end...TODAY! This week I learned that one of my friends lost her mom. Another friend lost her dad. My dog of 13 years who still lives at home with my parents is not long for this world. This is the one-year anniversary of my friend's sister's death. My friend who is 6 months pregnant is now house-bound, except for work. And all of that is what is happening inside my little world. Looking outside, there is death and destruction in all four corners of the world. All of this while tropical storm Alberto works its way up the coast, bringing rain and floods.

Still it rings true...God is in control.

I can see His mighty and sovereign hand at work in people's lives. He takes the bad and harsh circumstances of this world and uses them for our good, ultimately working them for His good. My friend who lost her mom said that this is a turning point for her and she really wants her life to stand for something. My friend who lost her dad has been able to find some peace through meeting people who knew her father and seeing that, despite his troubled life, he was well liked, loved even. And he loved her very much. My friend who is mourning the anniversary of her sister's death is now able to help others who are going through what she went through. She is able to be there, quietly listening to others talk about their loved ones, knowing what it feels like to think if they continue to talk about them that they won't really be gone. No one understands that better that her. My dog, Roxanne, has suffered with a heart problem for several years and has finally been diagnosed with cancerous tumors. I don't know that you can find the silver lining around that cloud, other than to know that she will soon be in a special place and will be able to run and play forever. And my friend who is pregnant...well, even though she will be limited to resting and won't be able to do all that she feels she needs to do to get ready for her baby, she can no longer cook, clean, be out in the heat or any other strenuous thing. Hallelujah (If you've never been pregnant, especially in the summer, you won't understand this one)!

All of that to say that God's work is alive and well and even in the storms, literal and figurative, He is nuturing us and allowing us to grow. Hopefully you, too, will be able to see the places in your own lives where the circumstance was harsh, but God was there, compassionate and strong...positively in control!