What are you doing God?

What are you doing, God?

Have you ever been walking in obedience to the clear calling of God and gotten waylaid by circumstances totally out of your control? I have. It felt awful and even more it left me thinking “What the heck? I was doing exactly what YOU asked God and WHAMMO! You let these people do this? Focus with me here, Lord. I thought we were a team.”

I bet that’s how Mary felt - really, really pregnant, traveling via donkey (every pregnant woman’s dream) to a town with nowhere to stay (hope she wasn’t a planner). Was she thinking “Perfect God. Thanks for making a way for YOUR son to be safely born”? Mary was very likely less sarcastic than me. But surely she had some questions. Over and over we see God’s chosen, honored, and faithful servants getting harassed and humiliated. David’s treatment by Saul comes to mind. Remember the spear that Saul used to try and kill David? Remember David asking “What wrong have I inflicted on your father that makes him so determined to kill me?” 1 Samuel 20:1

The answers are never given to these questions. The people and the readers are left to wonder. Well I have…wondered, that is. I wonder if God knows that in predictable comfort I get the lazy Sunday afternoon -- I need a nap sort of feeling. A little too warm and cozy on the spiritual couch of my life. I wonder if He knows that like Mary, and David before her, that the enemy of dependence is a gentle, rhythmic life. So what do we do with the disruptions, disappointments, and discomforts? I don’t believe there are pat answers. But from the life of Mary and David, you can see a path to follow. First remain rooted and growing in faith and committed and connected to community. That’s what we are doing here at @HomeBibleStudy faithfully growing and gathering. Let us know if you’d like to be part.

By Laura Deskins