It was also a day of unforeseen circumstances. So, this, then, is potential Camp Robber #4. We never know when something out of the ordinary will occur and it will disrupt our lives in a multitude of ways, and often include unplanned waiting. However, if we're ready and prepared, those pesky Camp Robbers don't have to steal away our joy!
Here's what happened last week. I used some airline miles to fly from Durango to Phoenix. My flight was scheduled for 6:00 AM, which meant I had to leave home by 3:45 AM in order to be in Durango on time to check in and get through TSA. I would be in Phoenix and on the road to Casa Grande by 9:13 (that's what they promised). HOWEVER, when I arrived in Durango, I discovered my flight was canceled due to mechanical failure. They were re-routing everyone. Fortunately, being a premier member, I was in the short(er) line. The attendant re-scheduled me on a US Airways/American flight leaving at 12:30 PM, to arrive at 12:45 PM in Phoenix (a direct flight as opposed to having to go through Denver). So, I spent the next five-plus hours in the local Starbucks waiting... Then, back to the airport to catch my next flight, which kept getting delayed for two and a half more hours (more WaItInG). By the time I reached Casa Grande, I had been delayed for a total of 8 1/2 hours (but, I kept telling myself that I'd found extra time I didn't expect and that was fun, too - after all, who just happens to discover 8 extra hours in their day? Right?). BUT, the better news was that I still made it in time for the birthday party. WAHOO! UNTIL, I was trying to be a helper, and the knife slipped out from my right hand, missed the watermelon I was cutting, and sliced open my left thumb. Blood started pulsating everywhere, and sadly I knew a trip to Urgent Care was inevitable. Between the amount of blood, and the fact that my thumb had gone entirely numb, I was sure I'd sliced a vein. So, off we went, my son-in-love and I, to the UC. More waiting. I sent Tim home, waited for the doc, then waited for the shots, then waited for them to take effect, then waited for the stitches, then waited to pay my bill, then waited for a ride home, then waited for the pain meds the doc prescribed to be filled at the pharmacy... By then, I'd missed the big party. Sad day. But, my thumb was fixed, and it wasn't too big of a deal.
But I still got a precious weekend with my grandson...and will probably never forget his 8th birthday...
Unforeseen circumstances in every part of my day. It was so ridiculous I had to believe it wasn't accidental. Considering the studying I'd been doing on joy, I had to wonder, was this a test? Was this like a big exam, or something, to see if I was learning my lessons? But as soon as I asked that question, I remembered the following verse from James 1:13 -
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted, and he himself tempts no one."
The word "tempted" (peirazo) means to test, to examine. God, Himself, doesn't test us, and He can't be tested in that way either. The temptation, more often than not, comes from 1) our own enemy, or 2) our own desires to give in to a sinful response. Remember Job...Satan came and asked permission to try Job, and God who knew Job's heart allowed Satan's ploys. True to his heart, Job came out of his trials refined like gold. One thing was for sure, at the end of it all, Job was convinced of God's Sovereignty (whether he understood what had happened or not), and Job knew what he was capable of enduring without losing faith. Remember Peter...Satan asked permission to "sift Him like wheat" and the Lord told Peter that permission was granted, but that he, too would come out refined.
That's what happens in our unforeseen circumstances. The Lord lets them be used for many purposes, one of which is to show us our hearts, to refine our character (sandpaper the rough edges), and to prove His own faithfulness (to His own character) in our circumstances. As I saw the Lord at work, remembered how He uses all things for my good and His glory, saturated myself in His Sweet Presence in the midst of the waiting, I am here this morning to assure you, He is faithful to instill JOY, just as He promises!
#lessonsonjoy: I can maintain my joy in unforeseen circumstances when I realize they are producing something Christlike inside of me!
Count it all joy, my friends, when you go through various trials, knowing what they will produce in you (James 1:3).
You can be assured that your God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His great purposes (Romans 8:28).
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