“Dealing With Disruptions”
September 24, 2012
Corner Acres Mums
For the past four years our Amish neighbor, Annie, has grown a great variety of beautiful, garden mums with excellent symmetry of blooms.
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“Dealing With Disruptions”
I have a friend on my heart today who is going through a hard time, a life disruption hardly expected only a few days ago. But now he finds himself in the midst of a major crisis.
Life has disruptions; unplanned events that may interfere with what we had planned, expected or desired. Some disruptions are pleasant like a call or visit from a longtime friend. But others are unpleasant.
Most disruptions are minor and a mere annoyance such as a detour. But others are major and some truly life altering.
But the disruptions of life, big and small, are always ultimately under God’s control.
Joseph sure experienced a major life disruption when he was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Prior to this he was “riding high”, confident in God’s plan for his life and perhaps a bit proud if it!
He got a “job” at Potiphar’s house and things started to brighten up for him in Egypt but he hit another disruption, being falsely accused of rape and imprisoned unjustly.
But there’s absolutely no evidence that Joseph ever lost his faith or in any way became bitter. He had some further disappointments until it all came together and many years later he could see how this was all part of God’s plan.
Of course we know “the rest of the story.” He could look back and make the tremendous declaration in the daily text. Speaking to his brothers who indeed intended to bring him harm he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Joseph’s maturity and willingness to overlook such a huge offense from his own blood brothers is a great model for any who have been deeply offended by a family member.
Well, sometimes we are in the middle of the story and that’s where our faith is especially critical. Like Joseph others may intend to harm us. The difficult circumstances of life also seem to bring us harm.
However our God is always active in the lives of His children, intending to work out even the most difficult situations for our good. What blessed assurance fills our hearts when “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we so easily consume our mind and energies with offenses we suffer at the hands of cruel and hurtful people. But then we see how Joseph matured in the midst of his cruel treatment, rose above vengeful plotting and a tit for tat attitude, to focus on the bigger picture which was Your plan to save lives. May we rise beyond the foolishness and cruelty of others to see the bigger picture of Your overall plan for our lives. Whatever slight or evil intended by another cannot thwart Your good plan for our life if we are driven by Your Holy Spirit and not the offense. And at times it is in the offense that You conform us to be more like Jesus. You want us to forgive our offender so that we have deep abiding peace in our hearts and unobstructed focus for Your divine guidance in our lives. It is only through You that we can forgive and mature in our Christian walk. Amen.
The older folks gathered around our dining room table.
The “younger” folks gathered around our deck table outside, and they even let me sit with them. (How do you turn the host away at his own table!)
After our meal we gathered tightly in our living room and shared how the Lord was working in our lives. We also sang a few hymns and gathered in a circle around our dear friend, Etta – seated at left window, and prayed for her. Vic, her very colorful husband, went to be with Jesus in July. We missed his presence among us.
Saturday morning we took our dogs out for a walk on a nature trail at the Chickies County Park, along the Susquehanna River about five miles from our home.
You pass this interesting building as you enter the park. It’s a long, very thin building (wide enough for one person to walk through) with a door on each end. Anybody know what a building like this was used for? We don’t know. If you do, please provide an answer for us here.
We saw some goats playing at a neighbor’s farm along Colebrook Road.
A closer view reveals a “white fox” among the goats but they seem to be OK with that.
We stopped by Corner Acre Mums to buy some outdoor fall decorations from our Amish neighbors, filling the van with straw bales, mums and pumpkins, so the dogs sat on one seat together. For local readers Corner Acres Mums is at the junction of Colebrook Road and Kraybill Church Road and has great variety and good prices on beautiful mums!
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