“Our limited vision doesn’t allow us to see how God is working behind the questionable scenes in our lives, but we must believe that he is. . . . The truth is, God is always working, whether we recognize it or not. In fact, it may be precisely in the moments we sense him or understand him the least that he is working the most.”- Sharon Jaynes
“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”- John 5:17 (NIV)
At the start of Chapter 3 (“There’s Always a Meanwhile”) of When You Don’t Like Your Story, Sharon Jaynes underscores this fact. Nothing in your life catches God off-guard. Thus, God never shrugs His shoulders and exclaims, “I didn’t see that coming!”
Rather, God is always working behind the scenes. Hence, through the twists and turns of uncertainty, we experience God’s provision and protection. However, the eighteenth-century spiritual writer Jean-Pierre de Caussade once cautioned about the results of a lack of trust. He wrote:
“You would be very ashamed if you knew what the experiences you call setbacks, upheavals, disturbances, and tedious annoyances really are. You would realize that your complaints about them are nothing more or less than blasphemies — though that never occurs to you. Nothing happens to you except by the will of God, and yet [God’s] beloved children curse it because they do not know it for what it is.”
Back in the 1960s, cowboy shows proliferated on television. And one repeated phrase let the viewers know action was taking place behind the scenes. That phrase: Meanwhile, back at the ranch. Therefore, while one thing happened in one place, something else happened in another. And at just the right time, the two came together. That created a breathtaking aha moment. Once again, the Lone Ranger saved the day!
Perhaps your journey seems headed to a destiny that bears no resemblance to your plans. Trust that God is working back at the ranch.
Today’s question: How has God worked behind the questionable scenes of your life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the May Short Meditation – “Another in the fire, standing next to me”
