Be careful what you ask for! A couple days ago, I was thinking about how nice it would be to have an entire day to spend in bed. A whole day to read books, write, pray and talk to God, and just rest & be lazy with no scheduled appointments, errands to run or places to be.
Today I DO have an entire day to spend in bed, but it’s not quite the way I pictured it. Last night I woke up around 1:00 AM with the start of what I hope is just a 24 hour bug. Cramping, chills, and all sorts of nasty things that come with a gastrointestinal virus. You know what those are so I won’t spell them out for you. (You’re welcome!) I’d been up and down from the bed to the bathroom so many times that I finally decided to go lay on the sofa so my Hubby could rest better. A couple hours later, he must have noticed I was gone because he came looking for me and scolded me for not waking him up so he could help me.
Sweet man, but I was definitely not at my best and was trying to protect him from my mess. He was not easily detoured. At one point this morning, I was laying on the cold tile bathroom floor trying to will myself not to pass out while my husband wiped my neck and face with a wet washcloth. For better or for worse, indeed. Even during all of this, my husband refers to me as “Beautiful”. I feel so blessed that he can see past my mess and still call me Beautiful. He is truly a godly man!
That is such a picture of Christ, isn’t it? My Jesus sees past my mess every single day and still calls me Beautiful, too. He loves me as I am, no matter what mess I am in the middle of. He wants to hold me, comfort me, and wipe away my tears. He loves you like that too, you know. No matter what you’ve done, what’s been done to you, what your outside looks like or what mess you are in the middle of….God thinks you are beautiful because he made you and wants a relationship with you.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
I’m also so thankful that God’s timing is always perfect! If I had been sick yesterday, or the day before, I would have been on my own because Rob’s schedule would not have allowed for a day off. Today it just worked out that he could be here. It’s not too hard with just Emily because she’s old enough to be able to do most things herself, but we also care for my friend’s 17 month old Monday – Friday, so that would have proved a little more challenging for me or for them if I had been unable to watch him today.
Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who is happy to help and an even more amazing God who is in charge of all things!
Trust in God’s timing. He knows what he’s doing, and he knows what we need to accomplish the tasks he has planned for us. Sometimes I am tempted to take over the reigns and run ahead of God. I have great intentions and honestly think I’m doing the “right” thing. Maybe I’m even doing something “for his kingdom”, but if I’m not following his directions then I need to slow down and wait for him to lead. He will never forsake me, and his timing will never fail to be perfect.
“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)