God Provides

I put off my run this morning. Not because I think that I don't need to run anymore (I have a 10 mile race coming up on Saturday) but, because I felt God calling me to my chair in the corner of the room. See this weekend was an emotional roller coaster for me. We spent time on Saturday with dear friends that we have not seen in almost a year which was wonderful; however,  on the way home I received an e-mail from Cailee's dance teacher that she would be closing her studio at the end of this dance year because she is expecting a baby. Joy and sorrow hit me at the same time. While I understand the desire to stay home with your children and raise your family (I, too, quit working so much to do the exact thing), I am also now on the other end of the spectrum. As I held my baby girl last night while she cried over losing not only her dance teacher but, the only dance studio she has ever known, I physically hurt on the inside and shed a few tears myself before going to bed.

I assured Cailee that we would pray about the situation, specifically that God would provide a new owner for Progressions, but deep inside I was struggling with whether or not it could happen. My mind was reeling with how I could fix the problem. How I could make it all better for my little girl. And then I saw this prayer posted by a friend on facebook:

"Dear Lord, I pray You will use every disappointment in my life for good. Show me how to use my struggles to make me better, and not allow my difficulties to make me bitter. I know I have a choice. Help me choose the right one."~ Girlfriends in God 


and God got my attention really quickly. And then this morning, in the quiet of my corner chair with music playing and the fireplace going, I opened my book "The Greatest Gift" by Ann Voscamp to December 7th: God Provides.

"When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Issac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven. "Abraham, Abraham!".......... Abraham looked up and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the lamb and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide."

Genesis 22:6-14 (paraphrase)

The literal translation of "to provide" means "to see". God always sees - and He will see to it. But Abraham also had to have faith and Issac had to trust that his dad knew what was best. Having faith and trusting that God will provide leads to peace. Peace is belief that exhales. Peace is believing that God's provision is everywhere. Peace is knowing that God will provide a way....even in the little struggles of life. Peace will provide grace for the gaps......when you don't know how they are to be filled. Peace provides more....it provides God. What better gift could God give us than Himself? Romans 8:32 gives us a glimpse of the lamb that God gave us -

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

So today, I am thankful that God provides, especially when I cannot. See I cannot fix Cailee's heartache, but I know the One who can. I cannot take away the disappointments that will come in the future, but I can teach her Who to turn to when they come. I can choose the right choice. I can choose joy and I can help others around me to do the same. "God gives God, and we only needs to slow long enough to unwrap the greatest Gift with our time: time in His word, time in His presence, time at His feet." I put off my run this morning.....and I am so glad that I did.

~Donna