Dec. 28, 2012

The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. – Luke 2:20

How often do things happen in your life “just as you have been told” they would? My experience is not very often.

Today, my mother-in-law had a procedure at the hospital. Yesterday, Rick was told it would happen between 9 AM and 1 PM. About 7 AM this morning, we called the nurse’s station to find out if a more exact time had been determined. The nurse told us 1:30 PM. Rick and I went ahead with other things we planned to do today. About 9 AM, Rick’s sister called and said the procedure was going to be earlier. Within a half-hour, she called back and said Rick’s mom was being prepped for the procedure! We knew we would not make it to the hospital before she went in for the procedure.

Sometimes we get frustrated when we ask God for certain things to happen in a specific timeframe. Yet, for the shepherds, this is one time when things happened as described. In fact, exactly what the shepherds were told happened. End of story.

When things do not happen as expected, do you give up on God? Honestly, it is easy to do. We think God may have abandoned us. We wonder if God hears our prayers and thoughts.

Other times, things turn out better than we would ever expect. When this happens, do we thank God and are appreciative? Why is it so much easier to be upset when things don’t turn out as we’d like then when we are pleasantly surprised? When this happens do we glorify and praise God?

I have come realized that I am glad I don’t know exactly what is going to happen in the future. What I pray I will not forget is that Emmanuel, God is with me, every day.

How easily frustrated we become when our time table is not followed, Lord God. We quickly blame you. And yet when things turn out so much better than we could have anticipated, we fall short of praising you and your understanding of a situation more than we do. May we never fail to praise and glorify your name. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne