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I must admit that the state of our U.S. economy and this "bail out" that Congress has been struggling with has been unnerving. Though I know that, as a Christian, I can see the handwriting on the wall as far as our future and that of this world, it is sometimes difficult to keep one's heart free from fear. I've been praying about this quite a bit lately, particularly if I wake in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep. Again, my desk devotional this morning reminds me of God's plan for each of us. When we commit out way to Him, it becomes His way. Then we can be sure that whether it is joy or sorrow, sunshine or clouds, health or sickness, plenty or want, His way for us IS perfect. We cannot doubt that. He sees the end from the beginning. He sees the pattern He is working out in our lives and will not make one mistake. We may not understand it, but He does. That is enough. The part about the "pattern" He is working in our lives reminds me of a very difficult time in my life. My husband and I lost our second daughter when she was two days old. The floor of my world dropped out from underneath me and I was very lost for a time. During the sermon at her memorial service, the pastor told a story. At the time the meaning of it did not sink in, as I was too deep in sorrow, however it was only later that I could see the value of what he told everyone that day: There was an artist who was painting out in public one day. Many people stood around him as he painted a beautiful landscape. The viewers were amazed at the realism and lightness of the painting. After some time, he paused and squeezed out dark colors on his palette. He began to paint huge streaks of paint across the canvas - completely eliminating the landscape that he had started with. He continued applying huge gobs of paint in broad strokes. Obviously the viewers were appalled and thought the artist was losing his mind. Finally, the artist stopped and sat back. The canvas was a mass of dark colors shot with a few traces of the lighter tones from the original landscape. His former admirers were so disappointed and some began to walk away. Then he sat forward and turned the rectangular canvas to its portrait view. The audience gasped for in front of them was an awe-inspiring waterfall. It's so easy to get caught up in our everyday life. To hear about what goes on in the world and feel small & impotent. This story makes me think of some of my cross stitch pictures. If you look at them from the back, there are threads going everywhere and by the time the picture is done, the design is completely undescipherable from the back. Once you turn the fabric over however, the design is clear. This is our life. God is working on us just like a tapestry. We can only see the back of it right now - it may have lots of dark colors from our darkest of days. One day we will get to heaven and we'll get to see the FRONT of the tapestry. I think we will be amazed at how the many colors of our life came together to create something wonderful. Never forget, GOD is in control. Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered and no one was there.
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