If I can find one word to describe the way that I have been feeling lately it would have to be AWE. I have been in a season lately where I have been blinded from almost everything other than blessing. Even when God has been answering some of my prayers with a NO, I am ecstatic because I know that He has a better provision. Almost every conversation I have been having lately has covered prayers that God is answering, the peace that God is giving, and the great work He is doing and providing for. Yikes- I just love the Jesus I get to serve.
So I found it pretty ironic that in the midst of this season of wonderfulness I was asked to teach the middle schoolers at my church on James 1. "Okay God, why in the world do you want me to teach on "counting it all joy" in the midst of persecution like the Jewish people in James…my life is going splendid right now"? So there I was the 2 o' clock in the morning driving home from dropping my dear friend off at his summer ministry on the day I was to give this message to the youth. Another friend of mine was in the front passenger seat of my car and I was asking her if she could think of a negative situation in my life that I could share with the youth that deemed appropriate. I am very thankful for all the trials that have happened in my life for they did teach me, but in that particular moment I was just too happy to want to trace my mind back to those hard times. And just as if God had cued the critter himself, a giant raccoon ran out into the middle of the highway. My low rider ran over him and I screamed so loud they probably heard me in space. Yes I was a tad upset because I am a vegetarian and this was my third animal kill with my car in a week, but we just laughed it off and kept on driving. About ten minutes down the road, my car jumped, deceased speed rapidly, smoked up, and gave off a dead fish fragrance. Stranded in ungodly hours beside a prison, I had to praise God because I finally had a story for youth. That little rodent had ripped off my radiator which caused my engine to blow up, But it is all good because what God had taught me through this was so worth it!
Job is probably my biblical role model for what James 1 illustrates. My favorite part in Job is when Satan and God have a conversation. Satan never asked God if he could go irritate Job, but God initiates this saying something along the lines of "Satan, have you seen my servant Job". Then Satan goes and causes this faithful man to suffer. This is similar to the faithful Jews in James who knew the word and clung to it and yet they were the ones suffering. All God wants from us is to "count it all joy"! Stop questioning why things are happening but instead when we realize that things are happening to us just to trust him for He has a better plan anyway! I never thought I would be happy to say that my car is destroyed, but today I am. I know God is trying to teach me to depend on others more, I know He wants to get glory for how He will provide next in my life.
Many of you going on the race may feel like the Jews in James, in the midst of trials of fundraising, or in the trial of forsaking your life. But God wants us to be content in these situations, counting them pure joy because He is a better plan. Cling to Him, cling to Him, cling to Him!
