Philippians 1:13

"But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel," 

How many times have I been sorrowful about the outcome of something, only to later look back and think to myself, "I sure am glad things turned out the way they did back then."? My expectations and desires are subordinate to God's, always (or at least they should be). Better yet, or better stated, my expectations and desires should always be aligned with His, that way there's no disappointment or let down. But I cannot always know the ways of the Lord, so I will surely be surprised by Him from time to time. One way of the Lord is certain, however, and that's the way of the furtherance of the gospel.

Knowing that I rest in the palm of God's hand gives me great peace for the direction of my life. I'm grateful that I have a force much stronger than I guiding, steering, pushing me in directions I wouldn't normally turn. The adoption of our sweet Pop-Tart and Willow-Tree are but a few re-directions I never saw coming, nor did I even know they were paths God had blazed ahead of me. And apart from the power of His Spirit, I (we) would have never turned down that path. This is cause for the furtherance of the gospel and in that, like Paul, I greatly rejoice. But that's something that's easy to rejoice in. What about more difficult things, like sufferings, sorrows and hardships?  I have few of those, really. But the seldom occurrences in my life where I have seen disappointment (e.g., job redirections, painful adoption experiences, minimal financial losses, ministerial frustrations, etc...), I see now how those serendipities have allowed for greater visibility of God's power, and even perhaps furthered the gospel in ways I may never know or realize until I see Him in heaven. I trust and believe that seeds have been planted and the fruits of those redirections are evident to others even though they're not seen by me. "... and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice." (Philippians 1:18c)