Disappointment ~ His Appointment

First I want to offer the Lord PRAISE for how He has provided for us, especially with our health insurance. I told you all that I would let you know what happened with our application and we received word this week that we are approved. This means much more reasonable coverage for the boys and drum roll.......I can finally go to the doctor for this little bambino, or "bean" as he/she is affectionately known (the boys pray for "bean" every night!). So, praise the Lord with us for His wonderful provision and thank you to all of you who have invested your time in praying!

This poem, "Disappointment, His Appointment," has been on my mind lately. It was a piece that I was exposed to many years ago and have kept close by. Today we received a "no" after another round of interviews. The end of this month will mark eight months since Sam was let go from his job. During these eight months hundreds of jobs have been applied for, many phone interviews have been conducted as well as a handful of "in person" interviews that looked "hopeful" and yet the answer continues to be, "we've chosen to go in a different direction," or something of the sort.

I take the "no" from the companies, but in my mind it gets translated into a, "wait" from the Lord. He is at work and in His sovereignty and wisdom has a plan for us and is asking us to wait and to trust. He fills our hearts and minds with that "peace that passeth all understanding." I remember asking myself, or maybe I was asking the Lord, while we were waiting for an answer this last time, "how much more rejection can a person take?" Not wanting to get my hopes up I tried to expect the worst and hope for the best. Then we got the answer. It amazes me how we can for a moment be disappointed and the next be at complete peace. We serve and belong to an amazing God who can do mighty things in our little lives! If we want to really know about rejection all we have to do is talk to the Lord, He knows all about it!

I have to take a moment to give some MAJOR kudos to my husband. He is amazing! A real testimony to me! He spends the majority of the day looking and applying for jobs and when he's not doing that he's helping me with things around the house, or working on things for different opportunities the Lord has given us in our local meeting. Guess what...he NEVER complains! I know he has times of discouragement, but I can tell he is drawing upon the Lord for his strength to continue on. He is faithful to the Lord and faithful to us in all that he does! We are so blessed to have him!

Earlier this week I had "one of those days" where everything seemed to go wrong, I was beyond tired, the kids were being very challenging, and I was extremely miswired! I felt the spiritual battle very keenly and realized that the enemy is just waiting for us to get "too tired", "too impatient", "too weary" to continue on that we start to question the Lord and what He's doing, to doubt Him. I was glad the Lord showed me that this week and I looked around myself and thought of all that the Lord has done for us and thought to myself, how crazy could I be to let myself be tempted in such a way? We still battle with the flesh, that's how! I'm seeing more and more as we go further along on this journey why the daily fellowship and time walking alone with the Lord is absolutely crucial to our spiritual well being and to our entire existence! If the Lord was just something distant to me I don't think I would have recognized the battle so swiftly and been able to take the "way of escape". But God, in His mercy and compassion saw the battle going on and lifted me up and set me on the, "Rock that is higher than I." He is faithful!

So here is the poem, I hope the Lord will use it to encourage you as it has me:

Disappointment ~ His Appointment


"Disappointment -- His Appointment"
Change one letter, then I see
That the thwarting of my purpose
Is God's better choice for me.
His appointment must be blessing,
Tho' it may come in disguise,
For the end from the beginning
Open to His wisdom lies.


"Disappointment -- His Appointment"
Whose? The Lord, who loves me best,
Understands and knows me fully,
Who my faith and love would test;
For, like loving earthly parent,
He rejoices when He knows
That His child accepts, UNQUESTIONED,
All that from His wisdom flows.


"Disappointment -- His Appointment"
"No good thing will He withhold,"
From denials oft we gather
Treasures of His love untold,
Well He knows each broken purpose
Leads to fuller, deeper trust,
And the end of all His dealings
Proves our God is wise and just.


"Disappointment -- His Appointment"
Lord, I take it, then, as such.
Like the clay in hands of potter,
Yielding wholly to Thy touch.
All my life's plan in Thy moulding,
Not one single choice be mine;
Let me answer, unrepining --
"Father, not my will, but Thine."

Edith Lillian Young

Job 23:14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me:
and many such things are with him.