Finish Dancing and Grace Under Fire

I feel like posting something a bit more serious than some of my usual fare. But, all I've got in my head right now is the lyrics from this weird Finnish music video.

That and the sound of Casey's hysterical laughter as he watches funny videos on youtube.

I guess I could segue that into something on how there's a time for everything. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

In life, we need the changes of the seasons. (Boy Howdy, my senior English teacher wasn't joking about the value of a transition!) The unexpected and uninvited keep us from getting too comfortable in our own skin and shifting into autopilot.

But just because change is good for us, doesn't mean we enjoy it. Recently, I've been challenged to keep a good attitude during the unexpected. Nothing earth-shattering or particularly noteworthy, just those minor happenings that pop up in life and create a few ripples.

When these hiccups occur, my first and most natural response is to want them over with quickly and to get back to my routine. But lately I've been trying to view life's twists and turns as opportunities for personal growth.

I believe that nothing comes into my life except what God allows. There are a number of scriptures that persuade me of this: Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 8:28.

When God brings something into my life - a person, a new responsibility, a messy diaper when I'm all out of wipes - whatever it is, it can serve a purpose, but I have to be willing to receive it.

I'm reminded of a guy named Joseph. Joseph had a lot of hotheaded brothers who got really ticked off at him and decided to sell him into slavery. (Now that's some serious family dysfunction.) After being sold into slavery, Joseph's life doesn't get easier. He was falsely accused of trying to seduce his boss's wife and then thrown into an Egyptian prison. Eventually, God provided an opportunity for Joseph to show his true character, and he rose to the occasion, becoming one of the most powerful men in the country.

By this time, things weren't going quite so well for the fiery brothers. Broke, hungry and feeling kind of desperate, they went to Eygpt looking for help and ended up face to face with the brother they'd betrayed. Understandably, the brothers were terrified that Joseph would use his power to take revenge on them. But instead Joseph said to them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good..." Joseph forgave his brothers and put his love into action by providing for them in their poverty and hunger.

Joseph suffered a lot more hardships than I ever have. But in the midst of his suffering, he chose to honor God, show mercy to those who hurt him and find ways to express kindness and love.

As my seasons shift back and forth from weeping to laughing and dancing to mourning, I want to do the same. Life's never going to be just what I expect it to be. God will continue to shape me and refine me to be the woman he wants me to be. And that's a good thing.