Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Purpose-Driven Life, Day 2

By rights, I should be asleep. Or I would like to sleep, but I woke up and realized I hadn't read my chapter from The Purpose-Driven Life. It was a bit inconvenient, but I've covered it (somewhat). Plus, I'd rather not abandon this project. On day 2 as well. I need more backbone. Faugh!

Today's chapter is You Are Not an Accident. Rick goes into a bit of detail about why every single person is a strategically planned creation, going as far as saying: there may be illegitimate parents, but there are no illegitimate children — at least from God's perspective.

Rick seems to make a point that I am inclined to disagree with, though. He seems to imply that everything that happens to you is a part of God's plan for you. I have a slightly different view: God never gets caught with His pants down, so to speak. Not everything that happens is a part of God's plan, but He can use it for His own plan. And I make this point because Rick says God is love. His very nature is love.

There are a lot of things that happen in this world that are incompatible with a view of perfect love. It makes sense to remember we live in a fallen world with a sadistic ruler, not in God's perfect plan. I don't think God would have me a slave to pornography, for instance. He could, however, use such a back story to help free other people who have the same problem. Same thing goes for character flaws. God doesn't want me selfish, but can use that to get things done.

I still struggle with God's love in a practical sense. I still think I would have liked it if my cheese wasn't moved and things hadn't changed. I still would like a drop-in replacement for my best friend (and I'd like the replacement last week!). But today, I choose to think God still hasn't been bested, that the Master Weaver can use the dull, painful, and broken threads that seem to be my life, and spin something beautiful from them.

I'm grateful, not for the pain or loneliness, but that God isn't stumped. He isn't looking at my life and wondering what to do. God isn't calling 911 over my situation right now. I'd like the pain to go and everything to be changed. I don't understand it all, but ever so slowly, I'm learning to trust His hand, not to remove the pain, but to be there despite it. And to bring complete healing.

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