Jehovah Jireh

 Tonight I had an epiphany.

Okay, so... as I'm trying to fall to sleep, a couple of situations were on my mind that I'd like to play out in certain ways, and I realized something that was a big help.  But first, an explanation about the title.

Jehovah Jireh means "on the mountain God will provide."  Now I believe God gave Abraham this name from when Abraham almost had to sacrifice his son- the provision spoken of is the ram, that replaced Isaac for the sacrifice.

Where I'm going with this is, we all have things we struggle to let go of.  We all have situations we want to go our way.  Whether it's a job we're applying for, a relationship of some kind (be it friendship, romantic significant other, etc.) we want to work out, an illness in the family we want to be healed... whatever it is, there are always things we want to go our way.  In the moment when we let go of those things, not only do we give ourselves the freedom to not worry about them- which might allow us to rest easier and sleep better- we also position ourselves such that God can do what he wants in the current situation, be it give you what you want, or give you something else that may actually be what you need.  

In life, we want things.  All of us.  Without exception.  Our ability to... "hold things loosely"... is a huge key to being content and happy, that will serve all of us well.  God will meet the need.  Maybe not in the way we are hoping for, or when we are hoping it will happen... but he will.  If you are a child of God and you are following God's will in your life to the best of your ability (we all have struggles- these struggles do not preclude us from receiving this promise), then you should realize that God is going to take care of your needs.  As long as we keep this in mind, we can stop worry about the specific way in which he does it or about the specific situations that you want to pan out your way.  Those situations may not pan out your way.  In time though, God will provide for your need, in the way he sees fit.  Our job is to trust him with our needs and not worry too much of how God does it and just believe that he will, even if it means having to walk away from things we want.  I found this to be very freeing- hopefully it helps someone else out there too.

What Owning a Pet is Teaching Me About My Faith

I had an interesting moment just now.  

I was refilling my medication weekly box, that allows me to know whether I've taken my meds or not on any particular day.

I have a cat now, named Helix.  And he was fascinated with what I was doing.  He thought I was making something for him.  However, I knew that what I was dealing with could easily be poisonous for him,  possibly even deadly poisonous.  If I dropped something on the floor and he ate it, it could be horrible.

So what did I do?  I put Helix in the bathroom!

He hated it.  He wanted to be let out almost immediately.  What he didn't realize was I was protecting him.  I didn't want him to get hurt.  As soon as I had the box full, I let Helix out of the bathroom.

What's the lesson here?

God does the same thing to us.  God protects us from things that we aren't even aware of.  You lost something right before you had to leave and you lost time finding it?  Maybe God was protecting you from an accident.  Someone is late to an appointment?  You don't know how that could be for the best, but it might be.  All the circumstances in life you don't like MIGHT be protecting you from something worse.  Or maybe it's a delay between a promise given and a promise fulfilled?  Maybe that way you'll appreciate the fulfillment all the more?

The truth is, we don't know the whole picture of why God does what he does.  And we (myself included) all need to give God the benefit of the doubt.