My Father died when I was only 13, gone suddenly at the age of 41; I thought that was old back then. My Mother was left with 6 children, 3 who had already left for college or marriage. Still, left with a family and a life without the man she had been devoted to for twenty-five years. Our life was a tale of mixed signals growing up.
My Father drove in the Daytona 500 when sand was the track. His was a life of fast cars, engines, incredibly good looks, wit, humor and admiration. He owned Corvettes when they were introduced, had fast boats and a fast life. My Mother drove sedans that would accommodate 6 children and all the neighborhood children she could entice to church. She was a Sunday school teacher, a choir director and sat on the Board of Directors at our church.
My Mother was the most faith-filled woman I have ever known. She was gracious, the epitome of grace under fire, and never lost her temper, not ever. She spent a good deal of her life praying for our Father to embrace God and to be really whole again. Alcohol had taken a toll, causing our doctor to warn her of impending disastrous results in his future.
Although she rarely spoke of that, she began taking classes in photography and journalism and soon began working at a local newspaper and as a correspondent for others. Not long after we lost our Father to a Massive Coronary. Swift and sure, our life changed forever. Our Mother carried her bible, gathered her children and marched through the trauma of this huge loss.
We grew accustomed to seeing her calm and nurturing. One day a few months later we accompanied her to the grocery store. The bagger pushed the cart out to the car with all of us in tow.
My Mother had been noticeably quiet that day, her usual cheer carefully tucked away. As the bagger began loading the groceries a bag broke, spilling its contents across the parking lot. My Mother stomped over to a bag of bread and with all the strength she could muster gave a swift kick with her little size 5 red shoes to the bag of bread. Pieces of bread flew through the air.
We were stunned. The bagger scurried to pick up the groceries running to get a new loaf of bread. "Mom!" I ran to stand beside her and saw huge tears falling across her face. She would not, could not answer as the tears streamed down her face. "I'm mad, I am darned mad," she finally responded. We had a silent trip home, not knowing what to say.
It left a lasting memory for us as we watched our Mother in her first display of anger we ever witnessed. My Mother went on to become a beloved journalist in Cincinnati. She was warmly welcomed into homes where others feared to tread. She touched many, many lives in a healing and loving way even while she excelled in a man's world. There is little doubt her life would have been vastly different had our Father lived.
Many years later I asked her why she had kicked the bread, reminding her that we all still talked about the little red shoe bursting that loaf of bread. She said she was angry, angry with God; this was unimaginable to her. She had devoted her life to Him, tried to do everything that was asked and to be everything she felt He wanted her to be. She had fervently prayed for her husband to be restored to good health and to find God. He did find God just days before he died. She was disappointed that he was not healed; angry at her God who she felt had let her down. She was angry with herself for questioning God, believing this violated her faith.
She said, "I finally came to realize that it was wrong for me to ask God to do what I wanted. I should have been asking Him to help me to understand and accept His will.
Once I understood this, I was able to go on with my life." I've learned that He does have a plan for all of us. We go the distance we are capable of when we allow His vision to be our guiding light. Sometimes it is a test, requiring unquestioning faith, but always it is worth the journey, always.
We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. - Proverbs 16:9
Let's Pray, shall we?
Dear Lord,
I praise you for who you are. I praise you for your holy name. I pray for your will to be done in my life and in this world, for your way to rule here on earth as it does in heaven. I’m not in control, Lord, you are, even though that’s often hard for me to admit and accept. I’m releasing what comes next into your hands, O Lord, and trusting you fully. I want to step into whatever path you lay before me, even when it looks different from what I thought I wanted. For I know you have bigger plans for my life, so I submit my life to your will. I will trust and obey you with an eager and joyful heart. Father, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
I Pray this story and message Helped you. Praying the Lord help you to stay in His will. When your will and plans align with God's will then you will have your will. There is no failure in God's will and there is no success outside of God's will. So stick close to the plans of God and you will succeed in all that you do. He will bless you with His abundance and grace. Stay strong in His love, peace and joy. Enjoy a great day and be blessed. :)
Question:
If you have any prayer request or anything wonderful that God has done for you in your life, please share in the comments to encourage. We love to hear from you and we are praying for you. Thank you. God bless.
Devotion Team: I Love Psalms
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