Reflections From My Study, When God Doesn't Fix It
Nearly a month has passed since I completed my posts on When God Doesn't Fix It by Laura Story. I've realized a few really great shifts in my world so I wanted to take a quick minute to share them.
Twenty years ago, I believe I knew in my head that God was sufficient and would provide for my every need. But now I see it with a fresh perspective from the evidence of His work. Mind you, while I was living those twenty years, I wasn't able to know what my life was going to look like now nor imagine the outcome of the all the grief and loss. In fact, most of the time, I could only sense that He was lighting the way right where I was. That's why I appreciate the Myth/Truth at the end of Chapter 18, "Myth: God is indifferent to the desires of our heart. Truth: God is able to do abundantly more than we ask for or imagine!" (2 Corinthians 9:8)
Chapter Nineteen, A Better Broken. Following are several "stand out" reflections:
Twenty years ago, I believe I knew in my head that God was sufficient and would provide for my every need. But now I see it with a fresh perspective from the evidence of His work. Mind you, while I was living those twenty years, I wasn't able to know what my life was going to look like now nor imagine the outcome of the all the grief and loss. In fact, most of the time, I could only sense that He was lighting the way right where I was. That's why I appreciate the Myth/Truth at the end of Chapter 18, "Myth: God is indifferent to the desires of our heart. Truth: God is able to do abundantly more than we ask for or imagine!" (2 Corinthians 9:8)
Chapter Nineteen, A Better Broken. Following are several "stand out" reflections:
- Although my situation didn't immediately change for the better, I am better when I am broken and allow God to use it because I discovered what it looks like to get better even when the circumstances didn't.
- Laura said it best, "When we stop blaming our situation on the brokenness, we begin to see that the brokenness is a trial designed specifically for us." "God wastes nothing; he can use our circumstances to teach us to have patience, to give grace, to withhold anger, and a thousand other things that make our marriage stronger than it would be without our trials."
- When I practice patience and grace in situations, it teaches me patience. Laura said, "Why wouldn't God, who gave us perfect grace and who wants us to give and receive it, give us an astounding number of opportunities to learn how to give and receive grace?" "If God, who wants what is best for me and knows that means learning to depend on him more than I am capable of, why wouldn't he design circumstances in my life to teach me how to be totally dependent on him for everything?" Laura went on to explain that "Even when Paul pleaded with the Lord to take away his broken condition, he wrote, 'But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Laura continues, "It's an astonishing answer. God said to Paul, and therefore, perhaps to all of us, I'm going to leave your brokenness there, and I'm not going to fix it, because my grace is enough for you. Not only that, but my power is perfected when you can't do anything to get rid of it yourself. What Paul says that he delights in is exposing all of the broken things in his life because it shows how big a hero his God is." I love the wisdom and discernment that Laura brings to this passage in scripture!
In conclusion, the biggest personal take away for me, centers on the promise that He will never give me more than I can handle. Combine this promise with faith in His Sovereignty and I can rest in the promise of Romans 8:28. God intends good for me even in bad. Time to rest without fear of circumstances beyond my control. Time to experience the "peace that passes all understanding".
I can know, no matter the cost, It Is Well With My Soul.
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