Sweetest DW, I hope you don't mind that I lifted this from you... It certainly touched my soul and I think it will touch others as well.
Last week, I was surfing FB after finally getting some internet back in this house. Basically, catching up with my friends that I don't get to see. My friend had a status post that brought me to tears. Do you know how many times do I have to remind myself that it is "Thy will be done" not "my will be done." I am just a carpenter in my life but He is the architect... something I do well to remember most days.
This morning, I woke to find that a dear family has lost a child, a young man who was as bright as he was witty. As I sat and wept for them and their loss, my mind kept coming back to my friend's words. Having the benefit of reading her perspective of loss and who is control has soothed my soul once more. And I'm sharing it with you....
"This is a poem that a dear friend wrote for me. We were in deep discussion one night about life and she asked me a pointed question. I don't remember the details, but I remember telling her I'd ask God when I saw Him, "Why was your plan for my life not the same as my plan for my life?" I told her I thought that I had had the "perfect Norman Rockwell life" but that His plan for me was different ...from that.
We got home and googled "Norman Rockwell". I encourage you to do the same. He was A MESS!!!! We laughed and laughed at the irony. It was a fake picture of what we thought our lives should be.
I used to sing. A lot. I used to MINISTER to people through my singing. A lot. I sang at one time (I believe it was Sandi Patty, but not sure) about God weaving a tapestry of our lives.......
Have you ever seen needlepoint? Perhaps they start by sewing all the yellow....then the green.....then the red....but you still can't make out what it will look like. I had always thought when I sang those words that God was weaving a tapestry and that the closer I got to the end of my life, I would begin to see His master plan.
I have come to a completely different conclusion. GOD is weaving the tapestry. He's in Heaven. I am down here on earth looking up.
Have you ever seen the UNDERSIDE of a tapestry? It's nothing but knots and chaos! That's all I/we can see. I believe. I BELIEVE. I BELIEVE He's weaving a tapestry for you and me......and you know what? We will not know. We will not know His plan....until we can see it from His vantagepoint. I believe He gives us glimpses....and we rest in those. But I trust Him to weave my tapestry. The same song says, "When you don't understand, when you don't see His plan, when you can't trace His hand.....Trust His heart."
My life is completely different now than what I had pictured or planned. But it's GOOD! He works ALL things together for GOOD to those who love God! It doesn't say all things ARE good. It says He works them TOGETHER for good! (Whew, a whole other topic).
I'm a horrible writer. But a great thinker. So forgive the words, but embrace the thoughts.....
I trust His heart. And I'm glad Norman Rockwell was as messed up as the rest of us!"
