Monday, March 21, 2011

Many Happy Returns

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”
-Chuck Swindoll
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It had been a long day of traveling following a week and a half of mission work in Guatemala. Our group of 19 was ready to be home, reuniting with family members and sleeping in our own beds. However, our patience was put to the test when our connecting flight from Atlanta to Greensboro ended up changing departure gates 3 times and being delayed for over an hour.

I was pleased to observe the positive attitudes maintained by our group’s members, despite our anxiousness to get home. We used the delay as an opportunity to grab some dinner and spend some more time chatting with each other before we would have to part ways.

Unfortunalely, not everyone on our flight was able to keep the same kind of positive outlook. One passenger in particular caught our attention…a minister was overheard loudly complaining into his cell phone about the delay. He told the person on the other end of the line that he still didn’t have tomorrow’s sermon written because the airline kept delaying his flight.

My friend Glen, who also overheard the perturbed pastor’s phone call, said, “What he doesn’t realize is that God just gave him an extra hour to get that sermon done”.

Glen’s insight made me wonder how many times I’ve gotten wrapped up in a frustrating situation and missed out on the blessing God was trying to hand me. We’ve all been there before haven’t we? But, Romans 8:28 assures us “that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

If we believe God’s word to be true, than we ought to trust that no matter what situation we face, God can and will use it for our good.

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Do you have a great story about a blessing in disguise of a tough situation? Please share it by leaving a comment below or emailing me at tami@wbfj.fm.

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