Providence 365, Week 3

I (Barbara) would like to welcome you once again to Providence 365; we're so glad that you've joined us on this journey.
This week's verse comes from Psalm 135:5-7.

"For I know that the LORD is great,
And, that our God is above all gods.
What ever the LORD pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightnings for the rain;
Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries."

I choose this Scripture as it speaks of nature and our environment being in His control. This past week has been a rough one, weather-wise in much of the eastern United States. Planes have been grounded, drivers stranded, and countless children are enjoying snow days, not always with mothers happy to have them underfoot! How can difficult circumstances like these be a blessing?
As I was reflecting on this verse, it brought to mind the huge part weather used to play in my job as a flight attendant. Blizzards, ice, and snow wreck havoc on flight schedules, and for a reserve FA, it meant that my nice, relaxing 20-hour layover in Chicago would now be 9 hurried hours in Boise. On one truly epic trip, I was sent out for a 2-day trip and came home 5 long, exhausting days later, completely out of clean clothes, all due to the weather.
I used to moan, complain, and grumble. Repeatedly. And, what I expected, I received: a miserable experience. And, I can only imagine what a horrible witness I must have been.
The Spirit eventually convicted me of my ungrateful heart. I wasn't acting as if I believed God loved me, and that He had my good and His glory in mind. So, with His enabling grace, I began to look for the blessings brought by unexpected turns.
And, do you know what happened, my sisters? I found blessings. Blessings that would never have come unless this seemingly random weather pattern had placed me where I was. There were lovely passengers, enjoyable crews, layovers in places where I would never have been otherwise. It began to be fun; I really looked forward to just how God would use THIS situation to show His love to me.
Our encouragement to you this year is to look for God's hand in your life, in all the big and small events, in the nooks and crannies, and "in all deeps." Without minimizing life's truly heartbreaking moments, most of our groaning and complaining is about events, which with His help and a change of attitude, will turn in to blessings.
So, if you look out your window at white-out conditions, if your travel plans have been changed, or if a wind storm knocks out your power, look for the unexpected grace, too.


You can download this week's verse HERE.

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