It's been repeated to death, but there it remains in the Bible (Job 1:21b), the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. And here we are to understand that the Lord is blessed for doing so. He does what He does and there ain't nothing we can do about it . . .
. . . except strive all our lives long to understand that a good God is doing what He's doing for a good reason. Always.
And He is. He really is. He is teaching and showing and growing all of us who are His children.
I remember giving my children toys to play with only to find they didn't appreciate them, might break them, weren't ready for them just yet. So I quietly took them out of play until the right time.
I also remember many times in my life when I had something wonderful but didn't appreciate it, until it was taken away, or I lost it due to my own carelessness. I wanted it a hundred times more after living without it. How I cherished the wonderful somethings when they returned to me!
These little God lessons come to me at the weirdest times.
Like during this unusual and busy week in the middle of a huge home improvement project.
Two years ago I had something that was wonderful, that I had worked and prayed for, but it scared me. I wasn't sure how to live with it. It made me feel vulnerable, uncomfortable. I didn't appreciate its wonder and goodness. I stupidly dwelt in fear.
So, God took it away, slowly over the course of two years. I pine for it now. I kick myself for not realizing what I had, when I had it. I am frustrated for not guarding and protecting it.
I prayed to God today, letting Him know that I understand why it was taken: I wasn't ready.
He is slowly giving it back to me, but He's making me work harder for it than I did the first time. I am humbled. And I am grateful. I am willing to work to regain the gift.
I have every hope that the gift He gave and took away and is giving back will be appreciated and enjoyed all the more the second time around, because its value is known to me. Truly known and understood.
I love the last verse in Job 1. "Through all of this Job did not sin nor did He blame God." That's the ticket.
I know a life-long, church-going Christian woman who regularly raises her fist to Heaven and blames God in fury when He does what I've described in this post, that is He doesn't do what she wants Him to do; He either doesn't give or He takes something away. She goes directly to anger, fury, blaming, fist in the air, "Curse you, God." I shudder when she describes these moments of hers to me. She doesn't understand her lack of perspective. "Um, He's God and you're not, and He is good and you're not, so maybe be still and know this? Watch and learn? Trust? Hmm?"
So I trust Him. I've had my moments - seriously hard, crushing life events - where my legs turn to rubber and the air is sucked from my spiritual lungs, but always - so far always - I have immediately turned to Him in prayer expressing my shock and weakness and hurt and pain, but I tell Him, "Lord, I don't know why you are having this happen, but I trust you. I can barely stand, but I trust you and know you are doing something good for your story. Whatever has to happen, please help me glorify you in my response. I want to understand You. I want to be good like You." (This, you see, is my long-winded version of Job's words at the end of chapter one. "Through all of this Job did not sin nor did He blame God.")
We all have our own walks and lessons. To respond in trust is the most important aspect of walking and learning. And then, to be grateful receivers of the gifts He sometimes returns to us, when we are ready
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