Have you earnestly asked God for something, but the answer was nothing you had hoped for?
That was our experience this summer. One of our girls is studying to be a sonographer – an ultrasound technician. She had worked very hard all year long in the hopes that her accomplishment would land her a residency position in Seattle. Community is a big part of her life, and her desire is to be able to continue being involved in ECC. Needless to say, it’s Julie and my desire as well, to have her at home as she’s such a big part of our lives.
However, despite our fervent prayers, her efforts, and excellent grades, she got assigned to do her residency out-of-state. Not only did that news ruin our plans for next year, but now we had to find her a place to live.
For the longest time, we couldn’t find a suitable place for her in an unfamiliar city – somewhere safe, with a trustworthy roommate, in a location that was somewhat close to the hospital. It truly was a test of faith.
At the end of August, two weeks before her program was scheduled to start, we heard back through a retired pastor friend, who had connections with a Chinese church down there, that a sister was looking for a roommate, and she wasn't too far from the hospital!
This sounded too good to be true and we immediately made plans to check it out. When we got there, we were pleased to find a nice arrangement, owned by a kind Christian young lady, who received us warmly. We absolutely loved the arrangement! And there was another piece of info that blew us away: this kind gal who is looking for a roommate also happens to work at the same hospital as a nurse!
On our long drive home, our hearts were flooded with awe and thanksgiving, and we couldn’t deny that this was something that only God could have orchestrated. Today, our daughter is enjoying her stay, cultivating a good relationship with her housemate, and doing well as a sonography intern in her hospital.
While all this was not what we had specifically asked for, we were reminded that God was working even when we didn’t know it. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, next time when the answer to your prayer is not what you expected and you have no idea what God is doing, please remember that God is trustworthy; He has everything under control.
During this meaningful Advent Season, let’s worship Him, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the true source of our hope, joy, peace, and love.