My Times, Your Hand

One evening last week, I looked outside and saw a beautiful red glow on the horizon.  However, my view was hindered by trees.  Knowing there was more to this scene than I could see from my vantage point, I quietly snuck out of the house…so I could drive alone without Aaron…and headed west to see what I would find. 

It was hard to keep my eyes on the road as I drove past trees and power poles.  The sky was so beautiful that I wanted to only gaze on it.  Finally, a few miles away, I found the spot I sought.  Flat…open…unimpeded by trees or poles – there it was.  The perfect view.

Oh my!!  What a stunning sunset it was!

I’ve looked at this picture a lot and done some thinking about the path of life upon which God has placed me.  How much do I trust God’s decisions about me and my life?

I don’t know about you, but I tend to feel more trust in God during the harder and often unexpected situations of life…those times when I’m suddenly the recipient of bad news and I’m thrown into God’s arms. 

But it’s the daily disappointments…that drip, drip, drip of stress…that can really bog me down.  The dailiness of life’s burdens can hinder my view of God’s path and His purposes for me much as the trees hampered by full view of this gorgeous sunset.

Saturday morning, for instance, Aaron stood by Gary’s desk chair. 

“Dad?” he said, “my mouth is broken.”

I smiled from the other room at Aaron’s phrasing – and I know that Gary was secretly doing the same.

Aaron thought he had burned his mouth, but in looking at it we both knew that these were not burns.  He had a rash.  The next day, Mother’s Day, I took Aaron to Med Express to have it checked.  It was quite painful, and he was having trouble eating.

Gary offered to take Aaron, bless him, but I wanted to do it since I always take Aaron to his doctor visits.  So, here I was, on Mother’s Day…at the doctor with Aaron.  It was a bit of a downer, honestly…not the way that I envisioned my Mother’s Day. 

See what I mean?  A small example of a small thing that can play upon my heart to bring discouragement, self-pity, and then lead to multiple other thoughts of how this and this and this did not turn out the way I wanted…

And my path’s view of God’s goodness is lost in the jumble of negative thoughts and emotions.

God gave me what I needed this morning, as He always does!

In Luke 13:31, the Pharisees reminded Jesus that Herod wanted to kill Him.  Jesus responded to them that He would continue the journey that God had for Him, and that when the time was right then He would perish. 

In other words, Jesus was declaring the truth of Psalm 31:15.  My times are in Your hand!  Jesus was standing in the unfailing sovereignty of God.

When David in Psalm 31 speaks of times, “…he doesn’t mean merely his life-span but all the kaleidoscope of circumstances that meet him left and right.”  (Dale Davis)

Oh, those multi-colored burdens that pile on day after day!  The unresolved issues and concerns that grow larger on a special day like Mother’s Day can cloud my view of God’s path for me. 

Last night, very uncharacteristically, Aaron suddenly said, “Mom, I’m glad you cared for me and took me to the doctor.”

I was pretty much stopped in my tracks by that!  And so overwhelmed with thankfulness that our “downer” doctor visit prompted in Aaron such a response.

Oh God, may I too look at You and be thankful for your care of me in the rough spots of life.  May I look fully at the path you have me upon and see the beauty amid the stresses.  May I not miss the opportunity to give You thanks for being for me all that I need, and not just giving me all that I want.

For it is in my need that I most fully see Your beauty on the road of life.

Author: Patty hesaidwhatks

I'm Patty and I write about our adult son who has Epilepsy and Autism, who still lives with my husband and me, and who is a package full of many surprises and joys and challenges and TALK! Lots of talking, which creates laughter and some other reactions as well. I also write about how God shows Himself to me in everyday life.

33 thoughts on “My Times, Your Hand”

  1. Oh, what a beautiful sunset! And, yes, indeed, our times our in His hands. There is such comfort in that knowledge. I know those drips of disappointment all too well. In fact, I can think of a couple from yesterday myself. Lol. But, I can not linger when I look to the blessings He has given us! I am glad Aaron gave you such a sweet gift of gratitude and for the excellent reminder it has given to me today. Thank you! ❤

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  2. Thank you for this post! I was feeling a bit the same way on Mother’s Day; I felt like everyone I spoke with was making me feel like I was a bother; Tom took me out to eat but we wound up back at home; we had waited till late afternoon to avoid the heavy crowds but found there was still an hour and half wait. I still felt a bit sorry for myself this morning but thanks to this post, things are a bit more in perspective and my spirits are lifted! Now, back to this thing called life🙂🤗

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    1. You know, Ruth, I realize more and more that most of us are in the very same boat to one degree or another. We often don’t want to admit it, though. I think it helps to know that we are not alone in our walk on this earth, both humanly speaking and spiritually. Bless you each day! 💗

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  5. Oh, my friend. I spent an hour earlier this morning in a Bible study that did not touch my very soul like reading your blog just did. As my dear friend, you know about many of the obstacles that attempt to block my path in seeing and remembering all God has and has done for me. I’m so thankful for your spirit and your words today. My burdened heart is lifted with these reminders. God bless you and prayers for Aaron’s healing….through you, God is using his sweet soul to speak truth to so many of us!

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    1. And Donna, I’m just as thankful for your spirit and your words today. They are a gift for me and a reminder about why I write. I do know your obstacles and you know that my love and prayers are beside you, always. 💕💕

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  6. Beautiful sunset and post, Patty. I especially like your ending. Thank you for giving what I need, not want. That’s a hard lesson to learn, but you are so right in saying that it’s in our need that we most fully see his beauty on the road of life! And I’m so glad that your Mother’s Day turned out special, in spite of how it seemed at first!!

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  8. Thank you and a belated Happy Mother’s Day to you. I appreciate how you share with us both your daily battles along with the blessings. We are all in the same storm …just in different boats!

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  12. Thank you so much! He has a sedated MRI next Tuesday (oh the wait!) and they will also put in his port while he is sedated. Still waiting on genetic information too. For 20 years the LORD has been training me to trust. Now, I get to put what I’ve learned into practice. May I bring glory to Him.

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  13. Beautiful sunset and how sweet Aaron’s words were!! What a difference it makes to hear the positive talk.
    It’s also reassuring to know that no matter how our battles look we can find comfort through God’s words and a beautiful perspective!

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