God's Supply and Blessings

Ever find yourself wondering why things are the way they are? Ever wonder what it would be like to have enough money to pay the house payment AND the electric bill? Ever wonder why your brother's kids are so precious and perfect and typical and yours aren't? Ever wonder why God allows "bad things to happen to good people?" Ever wonder why He chooses to answer some prayers and seems to ignore others?

Well, I do-- all of the time. I'd love to say that those questions were ones that I made up for the sake of this blog, but the truth is I wonder about those things all of the time. Now if you know me, I am hopeful that you would describe me as an upbeat, positive individual that never takes no as an answer, enjoys conquering the seemingly impossible, and believes with all of my heart that we can never, never give up.... And, on most days, I am that person (or at least I think I am).

Last week I was sitting in my office. A friend came by to visit and we ended up talking about the mission and ministry of Faces of Hope. Sometimes I almost feel defensive when people ask me why on earth we keep doing what we do in the face of such adversity. I have a love-hate relationship with the statement that "God's work done in God's way is never short of God's supply." I believe the statement itself to be absolutely true. It's our interpretation of "God's supply" that gives me pause. What is His supply anyway? Does that mean we'll always have enough to pay the bills we think are important? Does that mean we'll never feel like giving up--that we'll never question our true calling simply because the water isn't nearly as still as we imagined it would be when we took that first step out of the boat?

A few hours after the conversation in my office, God sent me a postcard-- it's something He does all of the time... This one was in the form of a song.... I'll insert a link below, but the words go something like this:

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 love 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 my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?
And what if the trials of this life--
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights--
Are Your mercies in disguise.

Easter is upon us. I can't help but think of that horrible day when Christ was nailed to the cross. I wonder if any of the people that were watching thought that it might not have been God's work done in His way? I mean, it must have seems as though God's supply had run short-- especially when Christ cried out in agony and the sky turned black as night.

Those onlookers would have been right-- had Christ's body been in that grave 3 days later. Miraculously-- in a way that only He can-- God displayed His mighty hand, erased our suffering, and healed us with His tears and the blood of His only Son. In an instant, His mercies were no longer disguised!

I still don't have all of the answers that I'd like to have. I'm not going to lie and say that my flesh feels any better about the burdens it has to bear. I can't explain the aching of this life and I don't understand why it aches more for some than for others, but I do know this: I know His mercy, I've seen His grace, and I've felt His healing. And I am certain that the "trials of this life-- the rain, the storms, the hardest nights-- are His mercies in disguise."

Happy Hope-Filled Easter to you all!
Leslie