Looking for God when things do not go as you expect

When things do not go as you expect, find God

Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie

copyright March 2019

Parana River Sunrise

Recently, I have had several friends that have dealt with some difficult, unexpected news and things not going as they had planned.  My heart has hurt for them, as I have been in similar situations in my own life; however, it was in those challenging places, I found God right in the middle of the  big challenges, as well as the little ones. It was also in that place, my faith and trust in Him grew, forever shaping and changing me.

My husband and I were fishing on Lake Amistad. I love spending the day with him at the lake and having the opportunity to just be with God on the water. I frequently pray and ponder things in the peaceful setting as I try to learn to fish.

Golden Dorado in Argentina

“Lord, I commit today to you,” I prayed as I looked at my surroundings and then picked up my fishing gear. I have been working on improving my casting and could not wait to practice with my new rod and reel. As I gazed out over the water, I selected the spot I thought would be perfect to catch a fish. Right as I began to cast, a huge gust of wind swept across the water and my cast went totally opposite of where I wanted it to go.

“Well that did not go as I expected,” I chuckled as I quickly began to reel my lure towards the boat. "What a waste of time and energy," I thought. About that time, I felt a hit on my bait, set the hook, and much to my surprise, I began to pull a good size fish closer to the boat! 

The very place that was a disappointment and I thought would be a waste of time and effort because my cast did not land as expected, had been productive after all. I think that is true in many other places in real life, in big and small daily life events.

Psalms 37:5 states, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do this.” (NIV) When we commit our day and way to the Lord, we can trust that God is in the middle of events of the day and can trust him even when things do not go as we plan or expect. I have found the adventure in each day, as I try to find God in the middle of whatever is unexpected in my life. When we see God in our circumstances, somehow it makes the unexpected okay and peaceful.

Grant, Anna, Truett, Ellis and Collins

I have had my share of sudden unwanted surprises in my life-my late husband battling cancer, my grandson was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, my dad was in the hospital with a 90% blockage in his heart, my other grandson was diagnosed with Downs Syndrome, crisis at work, are just a few I’ll name. In each of these situations, as I’ve committed them to the Lord and ask for His perspective, my heart could rest and I have had encounters with God in amazing ways. I have found Him in each of these situations and that is a treasure.

One of my daily prayers is, “God, give me your perspective of this.” “I want to see this as you see it because often my natural thinking needs some adjusting. God is good and he is faithful to always give me a better perspective, change my heart, and help me to be more like Him.

Several years ago, Stephen and I were traveling with another couple. On our way to the airport, we encountered some road work that caused a detour we had not counted on. This made us a few minutes late for our flight and we were bumped to another flight. As my friend apologized because we had to sit at the airport for four more hours, I smiled and said, “It is alright, I am going to find the divine appointment God has for me.” I had prayed that morning, “God I commit today and my life to you; it is all yours.” I could be at peace in the delay and look for God as my life and time belong to him.

As I sat down in my seat on the plane, a young girl that was 20 years old sat beside me. We began talking asking each other casual questions and then began talking about God. For 3 1/2 hours, I visited with this young lady, answering question after question she had about a deeper relationship with Jesus. It was such an honor for me to invest in her life. I found God in the middle of our flight delay and even though we got home much later than expected, it did not matter, God was in the delay and my life belongs to him. 

I challenge you to commit your day and situations to God and look for him when the unexpected knocks at your door. God is a relational God and loves to partner with us each day. Go on the treasure hunt of finding Him in your situations, and you will find peace. Faith and trust are outcomes of taking His hand and walking with Him. Life does not always make sense but we can have fun in the journey when we find Him in the unexpected.

Kathleen is a native of the Hill Country and is passionate about helping people discover their value and worth. Contact her at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com or visit her blog on www.themaxwellminutes.blogspot.com
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