"In the book of Acts, chapter twenty-seven, Paul tells the people he is traveling with that God has called them to their mission. Not only that, he is certain the Holy Spirit is on their side. And yet, for reasons he doesn’t go into, we read in our key verse that he also tells them they must run aground, which means they’d be delayed on some island before their purpose would be accomplished.
This delay, it turns out, is part of the plan. This setback is actually sovereign. But of course at that moment they can’t see that. All they can see is a looming shipwreck, a deserted island.
Perhaps you are on your own deserted island—a personal exile that has been painful and prolonged. You wonder if God sees where you are, if He cares. You remember the time you were moving along, the wind in your sails, full speed ahead. And you miss that time. You wish God would rescue you from the island, put you back on course. Perhaps you’re beginning to doubt God really does have a plan for you.
I don’t know what your deserted island looks like. It might be the desolation of a marriage, the barren land of motherhood, the wasteland of a career. It might be the emptiness of simply not knowing what your purpose—your passion—really is, even as you watch other women seem to steam forward.
When I start to feel this way, I think about this verse. I remember that even Paul ran aground, even Paul faced setbacks. But I also remember that the island wasn’t the end of the story. Rescue was coming. Running aground doesn’t mean you’ve run outside of God’s will. It might just mean you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Use this time to increase your trust in God and to see Him work on your behalf, even when the palm trees obscure your view."
This giant quote is from my devos this morning and have found it very applicable. I definitely feel like have run aground and am less frustrated with this feeling. Good to know that while I can wait for the tide to come and carry be away I can enjoy the palm trees and warm breeze of His love.
I love when my daily readings are very much needed for the day!
Hey miss Mary,
ReplyDeleteI happened to actually go on my Google reader this morning and scroll through some of the new things, one of them being your post this morning and I have to tell you how grateful I am that you posted this. While Tim and I like Kamloops we are really missing Moose Jaw, which has become home for us. We miss our friends and our church and the life that we had there. We really felt that God was calling us out here but are struggling right now to feel like we really have a purpose here. Lots more to say on the subject but I need to get ready for work. Sorry I am so bad at communicating :( Hope your doing well. Love ya. - C