A Thought About God's Plans

In everything God works for the good of those who love him… because that was his plan.
Romans 8:28 NCV

Sometimes life gives us hard blows.  Sometimes the pain runs so deep that it is hard to believe that God really does work for the good of those who love him.  But God uses every experience to build us, to build our character; to instill patience in us.  Every incident can become a priceless source of insight if you are willing to see the usefulness in it and learn from it.  My entire life I have felt like I have gone around in circles in certain areas.  I would walk down a path and mess up so badly only to find that God would keep bringing me around to face a similar situation over and over again until I got it right.  All the stress and stain each time I encountered something that I didn't really like actually ended up shaping me and molding me to be who I am today. Each encounter along the path contributed to my character, my strength and my faith in him.  God faithfully would bring me full circle to give me another chance at facing hard situations until I got it right.

The Israelites went in circles for 40 years before they finally smartened up.

Who and where you are at this moment in time has all been divinely orchestrated by God. He allows us to make our own choices, he never forces us to choose his ways but he still, in his mercy, uses everything and every mistake we make to shape us and teach us.  In his wisdom he allows us to go down wrong paths and get into certain situations, even though he knows it will be painful for us.  He allows it because he wants to mature us and stretch us.   Sometimes those paths are not even a matter of right or wrong but he permits them to happen because he knows that there is something we need to learn along the way.  Maybe it's the job you dread going to every day.  God will use that job to develop your skills, to instill in you endurance and a sense of responsibility. Or perhaps it's the people at work....people who just rub you the wrong way.  Well God may be using them to make you more like Jesus!

Paul says God "understands… and knows what is best for us at all times" (Ephesians 1:8 TLB). So instead of bickering and complaining because you want him to change things, why not try thanking him for the experience and the lessons you're learning. And if you can't figure out what those lessons are, ask him. Many years ago when I was just a young girl  a very special Army friend Don Wood, prayed with me and gave me this verse from the book of James: "If… you need wisdom… ask God" (James 1:5CEV)  I can't tell you how many times I have gone back to read that passage over the years.  Don simply told me to 'ask God' for help and clarity in the things I was facing.  I did that, and you know what I have discovered time and time again? - that everything I've faced, every circumstance I have been through has all been part of God's plan for me. God has used it all to make me in to the Rhonda Merkley Maccarone that I am today!
That's all I'm going to say about that too....for now.