unpredictable

No More TNT?

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

It was weird not having my usual TNT discipleship class tonight at Brentwood Baptist Church. I’d gotten so used to these Wednesday nights as part of my routine and now, once again, my routine has been changed.

I’d willingly go through all of it again if I could. Even the public speaking part, which is definitely NOT my forte.

It’s also funny how something I was a part of for only a year became so ingrained into my life that it almost feels like withdrawal not going anymore. Relationships are the same way. When people move off, it seems strange not to see them around anymore, even if they weren’t in your life for very long.

I used to say how much I liked change and how exciting it all was. Now I’ve experienced quite a few changes and it doesn’t seem so exciting anymore. Scary? Yes. Thrilling? Not so much. Unpredictable? Absolutely.

What I love now more than anything is the God who stays the same amidst all the constant changes. It’s true that the only constant is change. Well, it’s mostly true. The only constants are that God remains God and that everything else changes. Except His Word and His promises.

Sometimes I think it’d be nice to have a heads-up on some of the upcoming changes so I could prepare physically, emotionally, spiritually. You know, bring an extra pair of underwear along for the special occasions where it gets really exciting.

But only God knows. I may not trust what tomorrow will bring but I can trust that God will orchestrate it for my good. There’s nothing so bad that God can’t use for good and eventually turn it to the best possible outcome.

God knows the future because He’s already there. God knows my past because He’s there now, healing those wounds of mine so that they no longer bleed into my present (stolen from my pastor). He’s also right with me right now. That’s the best part.

 

Promises, Promises

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

“Protect me, God, for the only safety I know is found in the moments I seek You.
“I told You, Eternal One, “You are my Lord,
    for the only good I know in this world is found in You alone” (Psalm 16:1-2)

That’s something I need to remember. Especially in these days when everything seems so unpredictable and topsy-turvy and nothing seems settled, when the only constant in this world seems to be that change is inevitable.

When I was a kid, my world seemed a lot more secure. People never lost jobs, friends were always healthy and vital, and all my cousins and uncles and aunts and grandparents were always around for holidays and special occasions. It seemed to me that all my friends’ parents stayed married and everybody I knew had a happy family.

But these days, that’s not the case. I’ve said goodbye to too many loved ones already. I’ve had my fair share of job losses. I’ve even lost one or two friends. Too many people I know have gone through divorces and unhappy homes.

But the promises of God are secure. Absolutely secure. As in “good as done” secure. God’s promises are so sure that we can believe in His future for us and live that reality now. We can speak of the future promises in the present tense even when we can’t see them yet.

That’s worth celebrating. No matter what happens tomorrow, good or bad, these words of God will not fail. Even if I fail, they will not. As the Bible says, even if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Even when my feelings and my thoughts tell me otherwise, God is true even when they lie. Always.

As I’ve heard it said before, it’s not about big faith in God, but faith in a big God, even if that faith is mustard-seed small. As my friend used to say, it’s a big world out there, but a bigger God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunshine and Rain (Pump It Up Now)

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It rained all day. And by all day I do mean ALL DAY. From the moment I woke up and saw that it was already raining until just now, when it is still sprinkling a bit.

I know rain is a good thing and that it makes things grow. I know we need it.

Yet some part of me still yearns for a place where it is consistently sunny and 75 degrees all year round. Part of me would like that very much. Then again, that same part of me wants to eat only chocolate all the time, non-stop.

But the part of me that knows that an all-chocolate diet would get old. Yes, even chocolate wouldn’t be nearly so wonderful if I had it all the time. It would get old. So would sunshine 24/7. At least to me.

You need rainy seasons if only to better appreciate the sunshine. Whether that’s in the weather or in life. Sorrow makes up appreciate laughter all the more and pain serves to make joy all the more memorable.

The joke in Tennessee is that we get all four seasons. Sometimes in one week. The weather can at times be very unpredictable and has probably led to an increase in ulcers and nervous breakdowns among weathermen in this fine state.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t go around wishing for pain and sorrow and struggles. Believe me. I’d rather do without them if I could. But those things are inevitable, and when they come, I appreciate laughter and joy and peace all the more because I don’t take those things for granted anymore.

So if the sun comes out tomorrow (and I’m hoping it does), I will be more glad to see it than if today had been sunny instead of rainy. It’s all about perspective.