“Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.”

(Psalm 51:8)

 A bit o’ humor…since sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying… 🙂

Back in August, my son told our pastor that “God had done this to him.”  He was quickly corrected when Pastor asked, “YOU chose to disobey your father, didn’t you?”  My son nodded in agreement.  “So that was your choice to jump off the sliding board/monkey bars – God didn’t do that to you, did He?”  “No sir,” was the penitent reply.

How many times do we put things on others (including God) when we’re really just reaping the consequences of our own unwise, impulsive, or deviously calculated poor decisions?

I remembered seeing my firstborn laying in the Emergency Room hooked to the IV going in and out of consciousness saying, “Daddy’s gonna spank me…”  I just caressed his face, attempting to calm and soothe him, but knowing that when he was healed up, this was gonna be the lesson of a lifetime.  His injury (and its accompanying pain and discomfort) were already speaking louder than any physical discipline that could be administered.

Plans can change so quickly – in an instant.  I’d taken Friday afternoon as a vacation ½ day so we could get ahead of traffic for our scheduled ministry-related short road trip.  We’d arranged a hotel reservation for our family and were looking forward to hearing the Word.  Even so, we never know how a day will end.

Our God is gracious and His lovingkindness endures to His children forever – even in the midst of painful processes.  In retrospect, I can say this wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to my child.  He was even blessed enough to get his cast off the very DAY before the new school year began – though I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded not writing for a few weeks!  Sure, it was no fun for an energetic boy to have to sit out from Physical Education and recess for the first month of school, but it was part of his lesson on the consequences of our actions.  Some things just can’t be erased by saying, “I’m sorry” or “I won’t do that again.”

But two months later, he has been restored.  The doctors tell me that the mended, regenerated bones that were broken are probably stronger now than the bones in his other (unharmed) arm.  Isn’t that just like our God – to make us better than we had been as we yield to His process?  Who wouldn’t allow Him to work on the inside each day?  After all, He is our Creator; He knows what He’s doing to bring about our expected end.  I challenge you to trust the Lord with your inner makeover…starting now.

“He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.”

(Psalm 34:20)

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

(Jeremiah 29:11)

© Copyright 2011 by Kayren J. Cathcart