If you’re looking for the conclusion to the story from last week, it’s coming. (Maybe tonight. Probably tomorrow.) Today didn’t go exactly like I thought it would.
Yesterday, I talked about the power of anticipation and what it would be like to anticipate the good God wants to do for me rather than giving into worry. I wonder if God read my post and decided to ask, “Are ya just talkin’?”
This morning, one of my children mentioned not feeling well. That led to an 8:15 a.m. appointment with the doctor. From there and we went right to the imaging center for an ultrasound. That led to an afternoon appointment with a specialist.
The diagnosis was a type of infection. A 10-day course of antibiotics and a potent pain medication should do the trick. We’ll go back for a follow-up in two weeks.
After the appointment with the specialist, I dropped my car off to be looked at. It’s been leaking oil. Not a good sign for a car with 200k+ miles on it.
A couple financial disappointments completed the afternoon.
So how will I handle all this? Worry? Get anxious? Well, not so far, but like a scary monster lurking in the bushes, those troublesome emotions are near.
It also occurs to me that I need to be sure God and I are defining our terms in the same way. Normally, when I think of anticipating the “good” God wants to do for me, I think of an absence of pain or difficulty. When God thinks of “good”, I believe He’s thinking in terms of me being conformed to the image of Christ and having stronger faith.
James wrote in his letter:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Pure joy, huh? Not sure I’m there yet, but I do want to be mature and complete, not lacking anything. So that means perseverance. And that means facing trials of many kinds. With pure joy.
Okay, Lord, help me experience pure joy in all this. I really don’t want to be the guy who just talks a good game.
Jesus had a name for those guys. Hypocrites.