Sometimes It's Better

I just finished watching the movie The Change Up. It's raunchy to say the least, however I am driven keep my pregnant-self up even later to write this so hang tight and excuse the bound-to-occur type-os, please.

The ending quote really got to me.
Spoke right to me.

I've been saying for weeks "This isn't how I imagined my life".

Sometimes I say it in a disappointed tone, sometimes a besides-myself tone, but mostly in a huh-God-you-REALLY-know-what-you're-doing tone.

The schmuck of a guy, Mitch (played by Ryan Reynolds- which by the way is the most undesirable character I've ever seen him play) ends the movie with a stunning quote.

"Sometimes life doesn't turn out like you plan it. Sometimes, sometimes it turns out better"

Whoa.

Just because our lives aren't congruent with our dreams (our innately sinful dreams I'll add) doesn't mean it's a bad thing. We are taught and asked and probed- What will you be when you grow up? Did you make it into the best college available? and on and on. Of course we have a hard time when we realize this isn't what we (thought) wanted.

Now here's stolen sermon illustration:
Remember Moses leading the Israelites? Were they happy to be lead around for 40 years? No. They in fact more than entertained the idea of going back to being slaves in Egypt as a better alternative, the vary thing God through Moses was saving them from.

If God would have lead them the quickest way from A to B that's exactly what would have happened. Instead they took the long route, a 40 year long route to get to Canaan. The route that avoided the Egyptians. Who knew that this long and wearing voyage was the way God planned it to be. It didn't make sense to the people, but it doesn't have to.

I never could have dreamed I would have a BS in Studio Arts, I could not have guessed I would be married to a man who later would name me the trailing spouse of a seminarian and later, God willing a pastor. I NEVER could have imagined I would be an Allergy Mom. I never would have seen myself okay with living more than 20 miles away from my parents- literally, 20 miles. Now we're the closest we've been in 6 years at slightly over 200 miles, and you know what? I'm completely okay with it. I would have never guessed that after being told by my a Dr 1 mo before my wedding at age 21 I could never become pregnant, that I would be pregnant multiple times and God willing will meet my 2nd baby this summer.

Ready for another stolen sermon illustration?
This is a good'n.

I think of a pastor who brought a wrapping paper roll and a lego man to the pulpit with him often. He didn't bring these things in tot he pulpit often, I think of him and this illustration often. He placed the lego man in the wrapping paper roll and cupped his hands on the ends moving the roll, sliding the lego man inside. He explained we are the lego man, we can see behind us, and we can see a little ways ahead of us, but we are surrounded in this life span. God on the other hand stands outside the roll, able to clearly see and know the beginning, end and in betweens of every moment, not only of our life span, but everyone's!

This all adds up to show God really does know what He's doing.
My heart is with the Israelites, traveling and trusting, without being able to see the end that God already has prepared and knows.

Thank you God for knowing me and even despite my straying, shepherding me away and through the wolves.
Amen.

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