When Trouble Comes In Clumps

The Friday before last was filled with tremendous weirdness. While at work, I got word that there had been a fatal car vs motorcycle accident on the main road home. Hours later, when I got in my car to head home, I remembered the warning and was watching for skid marks in the road, indicating where the wreck had taken place. A few miles into my journey, I noticed a Cal Trans worker on the side of the road. He was making unfamiliar hand signals and caught my attention. As I slowed down to take a closer look, I saw that it was my husband. I pulled off the road and walked back to where he was.

These are the places in my life where I begin to ask questions. I have constant conversations with God about odd situations that constantly appear in my life. I rarely ever ask the question "Why?"  Usually I ask things like this.., "Did you intentionally suggest to Jeff and I to wear fluorescent shirts today because you knew we'd be involved in something like this?" I'm always wondering what God is up to and excited to see the part I get to play in His adventures.

So there stood Jeff and I with our fluorescent shirts, slowing traffic down on the blind curve so the oncoming traffic wouldn't hit the cars slowing down for the detour ahead. We stayed until the mess was well controlled. Then we learned that there was more trouble ahead. A lightning storm had begun to brew and two fires broke out near the crews cleaning up the accident. It was strange to drive past sheriffs, highway patrol, fire trucks, coroners, etc... all at the same spot.  We thought the days events were over.  

When we arrived home, we saw two fires burning on our mountain. We didn't know it then, but lightning had apparently hit something that knocked out our well pump and phone lines, which in turn, blew out our computer and modem. As Jeff investigated that situation, he heard kittens crying all over our yard. Their mom must have been taken by one of the local predators. This is how things happen in our life.  Not in ones or twos, but in clumps. These are the places that churn up more questions in my mind. Questions like, "What should I be seeing or hearing in this situation?  What do I need to learn while I'm here?"

Job 27:15 says, "Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes the lightning flash?" This verse brought even more questions to mind.., "Did you direct this lightning or do you just put a system in place and it kind of runs on its own?" I don't think we need to be afraid to ask God questions. He made us for relationship and loves anything that brings us close to Him... even our questions. 

This is a good place to state that I don't build a theology on events that happen in my life. If I did, then I'd be tempted to look at God as a big mean, unfair being.  Instead, I try to learn from these events knowing that God is love and made me because He wanted someone to love. I try to view my circumstances from His truth rather than create a theology based on my current wound.

So, here I am today. Waiting for temporary water to be delivered and the phone repair man to come assess our situation. God promised that He already knows my needs (Matt 6:8) and that He is ready to perform His own word (Jeremiah 1:12). I'm not worried. I'm just wondering what new revelations He will show me in this process. Whatever they are, they will be for my good and not my destruction (Jeremiah 19:11)!