God's Handwriting

Anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about my daddy...  I worship that ground he walks on. In my humble opinion there isn't another mortal man to ever live that is any more wonderful than he. That being said, he has these "Tom-isms" that he uses often that simply add to his awesome factor. Of these, he has one that is my favorite: "looking in the rearview mirror of life, one can see God's handwriting".

Well, if those simple words aren't profound, then I'm not addicted to caffeine. Of all the cliches he uses (some I love, others not as much), that is my favorite for a lot of reasons. The top reason, however, is the validity behind it. There are few truer truths to this... it sums up the Lord's perfect plan in conjunction with our finite human minds that question and try to control.

Jeremiah 29:11 states, "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord... "Plans to prosper you, not to harm you... to give you hope & a future." Romans 8:28 speaks to how the Lord "works for the good of those who love Him". There are countless other scriptural references regarding the Lord's plan and how in His holiness, he truly has our best interest at heart... regardless of how it seems to us mere mortals.

I'm Type A, thus I like to control, plan, schedule, and did I mention control? I'm not very good at having faith, trusting, or relying on others, and that includes my Savior. So many times, I use the word "why" and even more "I" in regard to my thought processes and actions... neither of which are demonstrations of faith. Not that there's sin in either, but the lack of faith and reliance on the Lord, are not what I am called to do.

Time and time again, I get into these situations that I have meticulously planned for and worked to control that seem to fall apart right before my very eyes. There's nothing inherently evil about them, but instead of seeking the Lord, I jump behind the driver's seat and slam on the accelerator. It's not that I want to leave the Lord behind, it's more a matter of, "hey God, these are my plans... feel free to come along!" And time and time again, I am humbled that despite my tendencies the Lord continues to remain in control and protects me from things unforeseen. My lack of faith, my stupidity, and my bad ideas are no match for my Almighty God's powers and his handwriting is the most beautiful penmanship, and all I have to do is open my eyes and take a look around. I've made it this far in life (and no, it hasn't been a graceful ride), but it's been beautiful and no credit can go to me or anyone else... to God be the glory!