December 31-Just a Reminder

At 3;30 this morning I received a phone call telling me that my grandmother Hunter had passed away and I just couldn’t believe it.  First because she seemed relatively fine when my sister and  I visited her a couple of days ago and second because I would have bet the farm that I would die before her.   After I had a chance to process the fact that I would never see the woman again who gave me the small piece of “normal” childhood I ever had it suddenly hit me that even when it seems that things are so obvious, we are never certain of anything.  Now I have always believed and trusted that God is in control, he doesn’t make mistakes and all things really do work together for his glorification but I was nonetheless baffled at my grandmother’s passing before me.   Yes, she was much older and had many health issues and of course she has been spared the pain of living longer than her granddaughter and for all of this I am thankful.  I wish that I could tell you that I knew for certain that she was saved and maybe that’s what’s really bothering me even though I witnessed to her whenever I had the chance.

What I know for certain is this, no matter how planned out our life may seem  anything can take you by surprise.  So how do we handle a curve ball such as this especially if you’re the kind of person that needs things to make sense?  By remembering that God’s plan is perfect, that we can make our plans and believe that we know how things will end but ultimately God has the final word and his word is never wrong.  I always seek to find what it is that I’m suppose to learn from a situation because I believe that God wants us to constantly be learning and growing, desiring an even closer relationship with him.

Up until this morning I thought I knew (roughly) what the up coming year would be like but now I realize I only thought I knew!  Shoot for all I know God can remove any trace of cancer from my body tomorrow, now that would be one awesome testimony!  Well I will keep doing what God leads me to do but with a fresh reminder that I can make plans as long as I’m ready to let go of them in place of whatever God has planned for me instead!

Jeremiah 29: 11-13  KJV

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”