A Good Story

I love a good story.....

You know the kind that draws you in right away, where there is trouble or heartache, but then redemption...a story where you can see God working...a story in which He gets the glory.

I think one of the reasons that I like blogging so much is that I have an opportunity to share a story. Potential posts swirl around in my head all the time. And often times I have an idea about something but maybe can't share it all yet...and so while I wait to see how life unfolds, I write my own story in my head.

I have done this lately....with an area of uncertainty in my life.

There were glimpses of what I saw was an amazing story of God's mercy and guidance and goodness and as I waited to see how it would unfold I shared that I knew, regardless of how it ended....God would get the glory.

And then the "story" didn't end the way I expected....and I was disheartened and disappointed and quite frankly a little bit upset with God.

So what now - can God really get the glory when it didn't turn out the way that I thought it should? The way that I felt was best for me? I mean don't I know what is best for me and for my family?

I must honestly admit that No...I don't always know what is best, and I can't see the big picture.

So here folks is where the rubber meets the road for me. Can I....better yet, will I choose to praise God even though He hasn't answered my prayers in the way I wanted?

Is this as hard for you as it is for me? I am stubborn and self-righteous and just plain like to spend some time being angry with God when He doesn't finish the story the way I wanted to write it.

But if you are like me....this kind of attitude can infect not only me but everyone around me too....because I let it.

Misery loves company right? :)

So tonight I can't share the story the way I had hoped to share it. But I can tell you that God - my God is still the same regardless of the ending. He is in all of the details, big and small in my life and even when I question Him and stay angry for a time...He is there loving me.

It is raining tonight, storming actually.

Thankfully it isn't anything too serious. I know that with the rain, the storm....new growth will emerge. The grass will green up again, the trees continue to grow.

In my life too there can be growth during and after the storm. But I have to be willing to grow, to not get stuck in the muddy water of negativity and frustration. But to see each experience as an opportunity.

Who knows...maybe this story's ending hasn't been completed yet....maybe something better than I expected is right around the corner. Maybe this experience was just a chance to test my faith and trust in God's plan and once again give over the reins of my life to Him.

How about you?? Do you have a story that didn't end the way you hoped? Tonight can you find a way to give God the glory - even when it is hard to do so?

My hands are open tonight Lord, take all I have and shape me into who you would have me be. Even when the story isn't turning out the way I had hoped, I trust You. Thank you for loving me...in spite of me.