I've been thinking about her family all day. How her husband is grieving for his spouse. How her children are grieving for their mother. How her grandchildren are grieving for their grandmother. And how we are all grieving for our friend.
If we had our way, Mrs. Shirley would still be here smiling and laughing at the funny things her grandchildren would say and do. She would be here flirting with her husband. Helping her children with different things in their lives. If we had our way, Mrs. Shirley would be home tonight signing Christmas cards, baking cookies, or working on a sewing project. If we had our way, Mrs. Shirley would be where she was every Saturday morning, working the nursery of our bus ministry.
But our way is not always God's way. And God's way is always best. It is He who decides what comes next in our life. And we must trust His guiding hand.
When the call came through this morning, the first thing I did when I hung up was snap my fingers at my kids and said, "Just like that, you are not promised another second."
I visited the family tonight before our churchwide fellowship. I think in situations like this when it happens so suddenly, you think you're going to walk in and find the family falling apart. I didn't find that tonight. Of course they were crying and grieving. But there was peace in the house. A peace that passeth all understanding.
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
If we had our way we would not face the pain and troubles we experience in this world. But our ways are not God's way. Do we trust His ways? Or do we lean on our own understanding?
Proverbs 27:1 "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."
