Higher Thoughts

“The LORD said, ‘Do you have good reason to be angry?” Jonah 4:4

Many years ago, Bruce and I were at his brother’s house after he and his wife had just had twins. My sister-in-law had experienced a tough pregnancy being in and out of the hospital. Finally, the babies were born and life with 3 little children under the age of 3 began taking its toll on her. She had gotten a babysitter to watch the children so we could sneak out to a neighborhood restaurant. She and Jay had not yet been out since they were born, and she was so excited for the evening. She had bought an outfit, finally had the time to style her hair and apply make-up to a beautiful face that probably hadn’t worn make-up in a while. She came down the stairs and entered the room and looked at her husband and asked, ‘How do I look?’ I thought she looked beautiful in her new outfit that boasted bright earth tones, but Jay’s response was one we still say 30 years later. He replied, ‘Orange…you look orange’ referring to her outfit. Not the thing to say to a postpartum soul and exhausted new mommy. Needless-to-say, anger hung in the room for the next little while. Crystal had already made up her mind in advance how the story was going to end. She would seek Jay’s approval, and he would give both his blessing and validation.

Sometimes, we as believers have in our minds what it is that our life is supposed to look like. We have already written the script in our mind. When God allows something difficult to flow into our path that rewrites our story it is easy to feel anger. Many times, praying for God’s will to be accomplished really means asking Him to sprinkle blessings on our will. We come to Him with preconceived ideas seeking His stamp of approval on choices we have already made. When our expectations bump up against God’s reality contrary to our will, we must make a decision whether to receive it with humility and surrender or store up bitterness in our hearts. God has every single detail of your life and mine in the palm of His hand and sees the complete landscape of our lives. If God never gave us one more blessing wouldn’t it be enough if our life ended today? So, I ask myself today and I challenge you to consider, ‘Do we really have a reason to be angry? With everything God does on our behalf and in our best interest, must anger really be a part of the one or two prayers that haven’t yet been answered?’ Just like Jonah, it is easy to go and ‘find a plant under which to pout' when God doesn’t respond the way we expect Him to. When we realize that everything God allows in every situation is good…loving…prosperous…purposeful we can lay down our plans and reach for the beautiful plans He has for us.

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9