When things don’t go to plan.
It was good to be back with you all on Sunday morning as part of #QPLive. Thank you for your concern and prayers. The test for COVID19 came back negative, but whatever I had meant I lost all my energy and just wanted to sleep. At one point, half awake, half asleep, I felt as if a pair of hands were holding me, rather than the mattress of my bed, and at that moment in time I just felt so held in prayer. So, thank you …I am feeling much better now.
Being ill last weekend was not in my plans, I don’t even think it was in God’s plans, so what do we do when life does not go to plan? That was the question we considered on Sunday.
Comments on Sunday
There were some great thoughts and comments in the “chat” as many of you watched on Sunday morning. Roger, one of our mission partners, who as a family have had plans not come to fruition and everything change on them, commented that they have learned to hold their plans lightly. There is much wisdom in this, hold your plans lightly but hold onto God with all your strength!
Karen Gray shared that when her plans go wrong, she reminds herself of when this has happened previously, and how God’s provision for her was so much better than her own plans.
The Psalms
The Psalms are full of people who vent their frustration at God for things not being as they think they should be. I know that particularly in these days many of you are finding God speaking to you through the Psalms. Nick highlighted Psalm 131 as really ministering to him, and Roslin wrote that she has found it helpful to meditate on Psalm 139. Nicola emailed to share some thoughts on how Psalm 103 is speaking to her. I’ve copied this below as you may find her thoughts helpful. Why don’t you take some time out to read and pray through these Psalms? We can of course sing the Psalms. My eclectic musical tastes mean that listening to the fabulous Cory Henry led me to listening to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sing Psalm 34, reminding me of my need to “look on Him” (v5). Part of the beauty and power of singing is that, in a way more than dynamic than just reading something, we pull ourselves away from staring at what has gone wrong, back to God who loves and cares for us.
Acts
In Acts 1:10 the disciples get stuck looking into the sky and needed to be pulled back to what God had for them next. Whether it is reading or singing the Psalms, a conversation with a godly-friend, or time in prayer and reading God’s word, we need to remind ourselves and each other that with God there is always a “next”, that he is out in front of us calling us on to join with Him in calling this world to new-life.
Grace & peace,
Brodie