Strange Places

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:9

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

What do we do when we find ourselves in a strange and unfamiliar place, not sure how we even got here? We ask ourselves, “Can God do anything good in these uncomfortable circumstances that we did not plan for?” I am a planner. I have three calendars that I keep coordinated, and I always want to know where I am going, when I will be there, and what I need to do to get there. I certainly do not like surprises, or being unprepared. I believe this is why, despite my best efforts, I always end up leaving the house with my own purse and a bag of things that I may need for myself, my children, or my husband…”just in case!” Please tell me I am not the only crazy woman out there! Too many times that I could count, I have come before the Lord with my plan – my answers to the what, when, where, how, and why. And I can just imagine in those moments, the Creator of the universe looks at me…smiles…shakes His head…and says, “Oh, my dear. You have absolutely no idea!”

Maybe today you find yourself in a place you never thought you would be; a situation you never planned on experiencing; a challenge that you could never have dreamed of. You are constantly fighting to not be where you are. Every night when you close your eyes, you beg the Lord to rescue you from your current circumstance. And every morning you wake up, look around, and are hit anew with the realization that yes…you are here. The nightmare is not over. The unexpected actually is reality. The “never gonna happen” is the “here and now.” Things don’t look like you think they should look. Your life did not turn out the way you thought it would. What do we do? How do we get out of bed? How do we face the uncertainty of today and tomorrow? You may not be where you thought you should be…but you are exactly where God wants you to be!

I would like to submit to you that your King Jesus loves you. As a good and loving Father, He covers you in love and protection even when the skies look grey. His faithfulness is steadfast and never-ending. And I promise you this: wherever you are, He is right there as your strong tower, your ever-present refuge, your unfailing strength and protection. The “infinitely more than we might ask or think,” – the “no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor heart imagined” things are often birthed in our lives when we are in the unfamiliar and uncomfortable places. For in these places, the Lord can do something in us and through us that bears the mark of His own hands, not ours. For in these places, the Lord can craft a beautiful testimony that is according to His will and plan, not ours. It is in the uncomfortable, the unfamiliar, the unplanned – where we are stretched, challenged, and perfected. Here, we can say, “Okay, Lord…(big deep breath)…if this is where You put me, then You must have something for me here. Or You must have something to do with me here. What’s the plan Lord?”

Believe this today: You are exactly where you need to be for the sovereign plan of God to be worked out in your life. God’s abundant and glorious plan for you will never fit into the tasks, ambitions, and plans you have for yourself.Under the sovereignty of the Most High, where you are today is right where God wants you to be. You have been strategically placed right where you are, for the Lord to do wonders in you and among you and through you and with you…for the glory of the Lord! I don’t know about you, but I would much rather be walking on a path paved by God, where difficulties are met with strength, where struggles are met with peace, where temptations are met with victory, and where my life will bear the mark of the Lord and actually mean something beyond my short feeble years, and into eternity.

Take heart, oh Woman of Faith, you are ALWAYS in the hands of the Most High!