Trust

The other day I was walking out of a classroom and a newspaper that was lying on a desk near the door caught my eye. The headline read, "3 still missing in [some location i can't remember]." I was struck with a sense of loss, of helplessness that made a feeling of sadness darken my mood for a little bit. Every day, the news is filled with stories of loss, of tragedy, of people kidnapped by pirates, of policemen gunned down by manic thieves. Sometimes the world just seems so bleak that it's hard to believe things could be good.

The other day I found out that my summer plans, for which I was so excited, weren't going to work out. Of all the things that could hold me back, it turned out that money was the stone wall I couldn't get over. I didn't have enough money to not work and simply travel all summer. I had to stay home and find a job. That was the last thing I wanted to do. This is very possibly the last summer I will have to relax and take some good time off. But of course, something came up. I was discouraged--I was in a bad mood all Easter break because of it. Mom and I looked at jobs online, but all along, I was dreading having to find something to do this summer to make money. Dad finally told me to just pray about it. I grudgingly rolled my eyes and sort of agreed that, yeah I should probably pray about it. But why, when I knew God was just going to tell me to stay home for the summer and work? He couldn't possibly want me to have fun. So I came back to school, determined not to think about this summer or money for the next three weeks that I'm in school.

The other day I went to go pick up the paycheck that I was expecting. I opened the envelope, waiting to see the amount, which I had estimated to be around $120 or so--a paycheck that would have to last me longer than its poor little life could stand. I opened the envelope--and there was a check for $500 inside. For what, I don't know. But all I knew was that my summer plans had suddenl taken a drastic turn for the better.

The point? God's in control. I need to trust Him more. I need to trust Him in the small things, to not doubt He has my best in mind when I make plans or pray for certain things. Plans don't always work out...but sometimes they do. And just like it's hard sometimes to see God working in the small areas of my life, it's hard to see how He's working in the big stuff out in the world. But He is. Everything works together for His good, and He has a master plan that completely overrules any insignificant plans that I could ever put together. Amen.