Mercies in Disguise.

I love how God always puts people in my path to encourage me when I need it.

Yesterday, I was at one of the local hospitals for several hours in the course of my job, and bumped into a familiar face from the past. The conversation turned quickly from the necessary shallow work stuff to Real Stuff as we caught up on the last few years and massive life-changing events that had passed since we’d seen each other.

And my friend remarked that sometimes when things fall apart, “its really God making your life better.”

Don’t I know.

Like my friend Rayla always said when I was in high school, “You never know what God is saving you from.” The events that seem so insurmountable… what if they’re only God’s mercies, saving you from something worse?

All things work together for good…

Its been a recurring theme the past few months: good things falling apart, so better things can fall together…

As I was pondering all this this morning, this song (‘Blessings’ by Laura Story) came on the radio, and I love the lyrics. I was reminded of all that God has brought me through, and most importantly, reminded me that God surely didn’t bring me THIS FAR to give me ‘lesser things,’ as I’m sometimes so tempted to settle for.

Oh no… my last few years of sleepless nights were God’s mercies, for sure. How else would I have come to know Him better? God is near, I KNOW THAT through my experiences of the last couple of years… and that’s all I need. God has been more than good to me.

Just something to think about.

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet loves us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise?