There are a few people very close to me who are aware that my life has included a significant struggle lately, and one that I’m not released to run from.  These people are also close enough to know that God has gone to great lengths to remind me that He’s got everything well in hand.  In this instance, as in many that other people are facing, “ugly doesn’t necessarily mean out of control”.   Three messages have been repeated with an astounding clarity and consistency, and every bump in the road has seen the messages given more often.  They are:

• God knows me intimately and loves me anyway.  The decisions I’ve made to date have not caused Him to give up on the promises and plans He has for my life and ministry.  He has not disowned me or written me off as impossible or not worth the trouble.  He knows my language, and stoops to speak into my heart and life the words I need to hear at the moments I need to hear them.
• God’s got everything under control.  The situation is not a surprise to Him, and He has already made arrangements to provide me with the safe havens and human resources needed to not only survive the adventure, but grow stronger through it.   He’s got a bigger plan in the works that will do long-needed things and bless/benefit several people. 
• Don’t meddle, don’t move.  Over and again, I’m reminded that I’m in this place at this time on purpose, and it’s not time to turn to the left or the right.  There shall be no fleeing from the situation.  Over and again, I’m also reminded that there shall be no fighting – I’m not to put my own efforts into defense or attack.  I’m not to resort to the world’s ways of dealing with such issues, I’m to trust Him to handle the whole thing.  My part is to continue doing what I came here to do, and let God deal with the details.

Today’s reminder came in the following form…  I was driving home and heard the beginning of a program on the radio, which I decided I’d like to listen to in my home.  I flipped the radio on and headed about my business, noticing that the program I was hearing wasn’t the same as the program in the car, but it was pertinent…  so I left it on…  as the preacher spoke on the story of Jacob’s wrestling with God.  His point being that God prefers to guide us gently with a nudge and a whisper, but we can be inclined to stubbornness which He will address by force as a last resort.   His presentation defines more clearly than I’ve been able to exactly why it is that I will firmly resolve to trust God and let Him handle things His way. 

http://ccmedia.cccm.com/backtobasicsradio/radio/OBB500A_radio.mp3

http://ccmedia.cccm.com/backtobasicsradio/radio/OBB500B_radio.mp3