Have you ever been in a relationship and thought things were going great? You think you're living the good life, cruising toward your happily-ever-after, when out of nowhere you get the Dear John or Dearest Jane letter.
SMACK!
Didn't see that coming.
Or maybe you've been grinding away for months, pouring yourself into the job, convinced the promotion is finally within reach. The boss asks to see you. You straighten your tie, smooth your shirt, and walk in expecting congratulations.
Instead, you're handed a pink slip and shown the door.
SLAP!
Maybe everything seemed to be moving forward exactly as planned. The team was clicking. Momentum was building. The tracks ahead looked smooth and straight.
And then, without warning, the whole train derails.
OUCH!
Life throws curveballs. We know that.
But sometimes it feels less like a curveball and more like you're standing in the middle of a dodgeball tournament while every player on both teams suddenly turns and aims at you.
All. At. Once.
And if you're anything like me, the questions start flying almost immediately.
What did I do wrong?
How did I not see this coming?
God, where are You in this?
But what if God hasn't lost control of the story?
What if we're only seeing one side of it?
I've been reading through the Book of Daniel recently. Most of us know him from the lion's den, and we know his friends from the fiery furnace. But something in Daniel 10 grabbed me and wouldn't let go.
Daniel receives a troubling vision about a great conflict. He doesn't understand it. So, for three weeks he mourns, fasts, and seeks God.
From Daniel's perspective, it probably felt like heaven had gone silent.
No answers.
No explanation.
No movement.
Maybe even no response.
But God had heard him from the very first day.
While Daniel waited, something entirely different was happening behind the curtain. A battle was being fought that he couldn't see. Then, for just a moment, God pulls back the veil the tiniest little smidge and lets Daniel, and us, glimpse what was happening behind the scenes.
And here's the part that really gets me:
The battle wasn't over.
God didn't instantly solve everything.
He didn't explain every detail.
He didn't tie the whole story up with a neat little bow.
The conflict was still raging when Daniel heard these words:
"Peace! Be strong now; be strong."
Daniel 10:19, NIV
And Daniel responds:
"When he spoke to me, I was strengthened."
Strengthened with a strength that wasn't his own.
Divine strength.
Not after the battle. Not once everything made sense.
Right in the middle of it.
Maybe that's something we need to remember when life suddenly jumps the tracks.
Silence does not mean inactivity.
Just because I can't see God working doesn't mean He isn't.
Just because I don't understand what He's doing doesn't mean He's lost control.
And Daniel isn't the only faithful person in Scripture who got tired.
Elijah had just fought one of the greatest battles of his life. Then he outran the king's chariot.
And then he ran again. This time for his life.
By the time Elijah collapsed under the broom tree in the wilderness, he was completely spent. Emotionally. Physically. Spiritually. Done.
He looked up at God and basically said, "I've had enough."
And do you know what God did first?
He let him sleep.
That's it. No lecture. No guilt trip. No speech about needing stronger faith.
God let him rest.
Then an angel woke him up, handed him food and water, and sent him back to sleep.
God fed him, cared for him and prepared him for what came next.
Sometimes, when the dodgeballs are flying and life's train wreck is still smoking beside the tracks, maybe what we need isn't another strategy session.
Maybe we need a little snacky snack, a nap, and some divine strength.
Scripture tells us:
"No weapon forged against me will prevail."
Isaiah 54:17, NIV
Notice what it doesn't say.
It doesn't say weapons won't be formed.
It doesn't say battles won't come.
It doesn't say hard seasons won't leave us bruised, confused, or exhausted.
It says the weapon will not prevail.
I can't help wondering if there was mercy in God only pulling back the veil a tiny little bit for Daniel to get a teensy glimpse.
Can you imagine seeing everything?
Every spiritual battle.
Every delay.
Every closed door.
Every redirected path.
Every prayer being answered in ways you couldn't yet understand.
Sometimes the track we thought we were supposed to stay on suddenly bends in a different direction. Sometimes the destination changes too.
And what feels like a derailment from where we're standing may look completely different from where God is standing.
Daniel wasn't given the whole explanation.
He was given what he needed for the next step.
Maybe that's true for us too.
We think we want the entire blueprint, a clear PowerPoint presentation, Venn diagrams connecting everything together.
God often just gives us the next faithful step instead.
So, some days, I think that means I don't have to fight every battle.
I don't have to carry every burden.
I don't have to figure out every mystery.
Sometimes I just need a little snacky snack, my comfy blankie, and to let God handle what I can't.
After all, scripture does tell us:
"For the battle is not yours, but God's."
2 Chronicles 20:15, NIV
With much love, a little perspective... and always something to cast your line toward,
Katie ~~
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Matthew 4:19