Blessings Disguised as Disappointments

This devotional is part of a tutorial on How To Install a Faux Brick Backsplash

To escape the hot Texas sun, my daughter and I spend a lot of time at the pool each summer.    She’s an avid swimmer now, but she was so scared of the water when she was little.

One day many years ago, I saw a huge water bug in the pool that was at least 2 inches long.  I didn’t think much of it until a few minutes later when I noticed it perched on Morgan’s arm floaty.  I quickly brushed it off without her noticing.   We swam a few minutes more before I realized how unsuccessful I was at getting rid of the bug as it was now in Morgan’s hair! 

From behind her, I quietly and stealthily grabbed the nasty bug when she flinched and yelled, “Ouch, why did you pull my hair, Mama?!?”  Fortunately, she never caught on to what I was really doing.

I know Morgan pretty well, and had she realized a huge bug was caught in her hair, she would have never stepped foot in the pool again.  As Morgan saw it, I inconvenienced her by pulling her hair but in reality, I saved her from something I knew would upset her and derail her progress in swimming.

The same situation has happened countless times in my relationship with God.   What I have often seen as a major inconvenience was merely the ripple effect of God’s protection from a hurt or tragedy that He alone could save me from.

When I went to check out the hardwood brick panels at the home improvement store, I was annoyed by the fact that they wouldn’t work out after all.  Little did I know there was a much better solution ahead.  I think God does this all the time on a very small scale like my disappointment with the brick panels but also with major life events.

Looking back, there are many instances where I thought I knew what was best for me.  Hindsight is truly 20/20 and I’m thankful God didn’t answer ALL my prayers.  He knows that sometimes what we desire most is the very thing that will destroy us.  Thankfully God is faithful to intervene in the lives of His children to show them a better way…His way.

Sometimes life’s disappointments are God’s protection so we can later experience His Best.

Because of His great love for us, there are times God has to drag us kicking and screaming to protect us from less than His best.   And what is best for Him is always best for us.  Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Maybe God has you on what seems to be a perilous path, maybe you feel like there is no end to this phase of life or you are enduring a trial that seems pointless.  Know that God works all things for our good and that there is a purpose for life’s hardships (Romans 8:28-29).

When you have a relationship with Him, what we perceive as an inconvenience is often his active role in protecting us and growing us to be more like Him.  When we commit to follow Him, God faithfully protects us from less than His best.  

What are the ways God has protected you and how is He protecting you even now from greater hardships?