It has been one of those months. First, it was two dangerously worn-out car tires. Two weeks later, another two tires, and an alignment. Just as I was taking a deep breath and thanking the Lord that my husband caught those tires before a potential blowout or accident on a lonely rural road, our freezer stopped freezing. By the next morning, the fridge was warm too. So there I was: mopping up a puddle from the kitchen floor, trying to figure out how to salvage our food and arrange for a replacement fridge/freezer, and then rushing out the door to teach school—praying I wouldn’t get a speeding ticket on top of it all! Have you ever had a week or month when the financial or emotional hits just keep coming? When life surprises you, and not in a good way, where does your mind go first? What is your instinctual reaction? Over the years, I have tried to cultivate the habit of taking my immediate reactions to the Lord. As I was driving to school that morning, I found myself going through the three distinct questions that I have taught myself to ask the Lord when challenges arise. I’m sharing them today in hopes they might give you a helpful template the next time life throws a curveball your way. 1. “Am I being chastised?”No matter the trial, the first question I ask is, “Lord, are you trying to get my attention? Is there anything in my heart or life that needs correcting? Please show me.” My first instinct is no longer to cry, “Why me?” Instead, I like to ask, “Lord, am I out of sync with You somewhere?” Scripture tells us that God chastens those He loves. Hebrews 12:6 Since this current challenge was a major hit to our finances, my mind immediately went to Malachi 3, where God spoke to the people of Israel about robbing Him in tithes and offerings, promising that when they walked in obedience, He would “rebuke the devourer for your sakes.” I certainly felt like our bank account was being devoured! Now, while that specific rebuke and promise was given to Israel under the old covenant, Paul tells us in the New Testament that Old Testament scriptures were written as examples for us to learn from. 1 Corinthians 10:11 It is never bad practice to pause and do a heart check. Am I holding back where God prompted me to give? Am I managing my stewardship with wisdom? Have I ignored a nudge from the Holy Spirit? So I checked my heart and my memory. My husband and I give regularly and seek to be faithful stewards. I couldn’t recall any recently ignored promptings or unconfessed stinginess. The Spirit of God is usually quick to point out my sins when I sincerely ask, so I moved on to the second question on my go-to list. 2. “Is this simply time and chance?”Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 9:11 that “time and chance happeneth to them all.” We live in a fallen world where rubber wears thin, appliances die, and mechanical parts break down. Cars don’t care if you’re a Christian; fridges don’t check your tithing records before their compressors fail! Sometimes, trouble isn’t a deep spiritual mystery or a sign of God’s displeasure and chastening hand. Sometimes, it’s just life; ‘time and chance’. If your heart is clear, this basic truth is important to acknowledge: Not every hardship is a direct punishment. I often tell my students when teaching my RE classes that we live in a world full of sin. Bad things will happen. In fact, I just reminded them again this week as we learned about the parable of the Sower. God doesn’t promise us that our faith in Him will keep us from having afflictions, but He does promise to help us through them all. When the roots of our faith are strong, we understand this and can avoid bitterness and the temptation to blame ourselves or God for every unpleasant part of life. We can simply accept that living on this earth comes with unexpected bumps, and God is not surprised by any of them. 3. “What do You want me to learn from this?”Once I confirmed in my heart and spirit that I was not walking in disobedience, and that this particular series of events was most likely another reality of life in a sin-affected world, I moved on to the third question that I ask the Lord in times of crisis, big or small. “Lord, what are you trying to teach me through this situation?” Let me tell you a little secret. While I fully believe that "time and chance happeneth to them all," I also believe that nothing enters my life without first passing through my Father's loving hands, even dying fridges. I know. That sounds ridiculous and probably presumptuous. I don’t mean it that way, so let me explain. My relationship with God is so real and so intimate that I secretly feel like I’m one of His favorite kids. Not because I’m special. This is all about Him. He is such a good and loving Father. Hebrews 13:5-6 How could I not feel secure, protected, and infinitely loved when He says stuff like that??? When I remember that He knows the number of hairs on my head, and that He is with me every single moment of every single day, I tend to rule out the ‘time and chance’ argument and go straight to the “What are you trying to show me?” questions.
This was the precious moment on my drive where the Lord carefully turned my eyes toward His grace. He reminded me, once again, that I can count on Him and trust Him implicitly to meet our every need. Two weeks before our fridge suddenly died, the principal at one of the schools where I teach the Bible and do some part-time work, unexpectedly asked if I could work four Mondays in a row to cover for another staff member. My schedule was already feeling jam-packed, but I accepted because I knew they were short-staffed. Do you know what those four days of work added up to? Almost the exact cost of the new refrigerator. God didn’t prevent the fridge from dying, but He provided the means to pay for it before I even knew we had a need. Jesus wasn’t kidding when He said, “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:8). What could have been a story of panic turned into a story of humble gratitude. God had already paved the road ahead of me. Want to know the icing on the cake? When I called around looking for an affordable refrigerator, I found just what we needed — in stock and on sale until the end of this week! There was also an additional special discount that took care of the delivery cost and the removal of the old fridge!! You’ll never convince me that He doesn’t delight in showing His love in such sweet ways. And He is the God of the Universe. I’m awestruck again. Some might say, “But, Angie, if God is so good, why didn’t He just keep your fridge from dying?” I completely understand your question and reasoning. But God’s thoughts, plans, and purposes are so much higher and greater. Looking back, I can see that God was doing more than simply providing the money for a refrigerator. During those extra days at the school, I had additional opportunities to be a light for the Lord. And while we wait for the new fridge to arrive, our kind but unbelieving landlord has offered us the use of a spare one, giving us another opportunity to build a relationship that may one day open the door for the Gospel. I still may not see every purpose behind the inconvenience, but I can already see enough to know that God wastes nothing. He’s protecting us, using us, and moving us around for His glory. Never forget, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 The Choice to PraiseYesterday, I was visiting with a dear friend—a sweet widow who has recently walked through the deep waters of grief. As two sisters in Christ reflecting on life’s ups and downs, we talked about Job’s ancient words: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). When the unexpected expenses hit or life throws you off your stride, what is your first reaction? Do you jump to frustration? Do you assume God is picking on you? Or do you pause, consider if it’s chastisement, look for His provision and purpose, and give thanks? Paul gives us the command in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Notice it doesn’t say to give thanks for the broken fridge, but in the middle of the circumstance. I don’t like spending $2,000 on tires and refrigerators any more than anyone else does! But I love the God who keeps me safe on rural highways, who provides extra work before the trial hits, and who walks beside me as He carefully directs my steps. Blessings, P.S. Whatever unexpected curveball has landed in your lap this week, I encourage you to pause, do a careful heart check, look for His hidden purpose and provision, and choose to praise Him right where you are. He is in control, and He knows exactly what you need.
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