Reason #932

Sometimes God’s best seems like it could potentially be the absolute worst. It’s hard to see beyond the tough stuff, you know. It’s hard to see how God could possibly bring good from such terrible situations. It’s hard to see how He could turn the boat around because it just seems too far gone. Not that we don’t have faith, we just don’t have an imagination. We’re certain that the only thing we can think of is the best possible scenario, and we can’t believe that God might do something even better than that. But what if the worst thing that happened to you really was the best thing that God did for you? What if His mercy is actually shown to you by doing what appears to be the worst thing? I was reminded of that today.

 

There are so many times, countless, really, that I am grateful the Lord’s will prevails over mine. The truth is, I don’t know what I’m asking for half of the time. But today I was reminded that God does the best possible thing for us when we lay our burdens in His hands. The kicker is that we don’t know what that thing is because we don’t know what lies ahead. Rarely do we know the full story. But God certainly knows because nothing is hidden from Him. We can do a good job of manipulating and trying to conceal the truth, but God isn’t fooled. He is completely aware of all of the details, and we absolutely have to trust that.

 

I remember pleading that God would act in one certain way. In fact, I fully believed with my entire heart that He would. I had that mustard seed faith, and I was confident that He was going to meet my request. And when He didn’t, when He answered with what seemed to be the absolute worst answer I could have received, I was shocked. The Lord was not supposed to be letting my world fall apart. I wasn’t perfect, but I had tried my hardest to be faithful. I had done all of the things I felt the Lord has asked of me, and I just assumed that meant my request would be honored as imagined. But I had prayed over and over that His will would be done. I had asked that He do what was best. I didn’t know what I was asking for.

 

I remember sitting in my bedroom one morning before work and I cried. I had actually cried myself to sleep the night before, but my tears didn’t take a break. Just when I thought that I had finally gotten to a stable point, after fighting and working so hard to move forward, I found my fragile heart being broken in two all over again. I thought the worst was over, and it was only going to get better. But I didn’t know the full story. I didn’t know all of the details. And as my heart broke from the pain, from the betrayal, from the secrets and deception, it also felt an odd sense of relief. I cried tears of sorrow and tears of gratitude because I realized God has rescued me from more than I was aware. I realized that God had not only been good, He had been extremely gracious to me. He had shown me more mercy than I realized. God didn’t have to explain a thing to me, but in His loving kindness He did. He revealed a greater truth to me because He knew I needed to see it. I needed to know the full story, and this was the final chapter. This was where it was ending, and mere weeks later, a new one began. A chapter full of opportunity, of new experiences, of sheer joy, and of restoration.

 

I know I say Aaron isn’t the only way the Lord redeemed me, but it’s certainly a big way. And when I step back and think about my husband, I see that so often the best things in our lives are results of the worst things. Because had that terrible thing not happened, the best thing would have never come to us. Had God acted mercifully by our standards and definitions, we’d be no better off than we were. But God’s mercy makes us better off than we could ever deserve. And so I thank the Lord  for His best. For the fact that His best is better than what I was asking for. For the fact that His best meant I’d get to spend the rest of my days with a faithful, kind-hearted, forgiving, dedicated, hard-working, Godly warrior of a husband. That His best truly is the best, hands down – no contest.

 

So wait. Wait on His best. Even if it seems like you’re getting the worst, just wait. It will come. His best is better than you’re asking or expecting for yourself, trust me. In His best, you will see His mercy. You will discover how gracious He is. You will understand His faithfulness and experience His love in an incredibly unexpected way. Hang in there, don’t doubt Him. Don’t give up or give in. Let Him show you the full story, and then hand over the pen to Him so He can start writing the best story for you.

 

#932 – Because His mercy makes us better off than we could ever deserve.  

 

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:4-5