Recently, it seemed my peace was surgically removed. Because of years of the repetitive motion of typing as a teacher and writer, I had an operation to cushion my thumb joint. I experienced the loss of the use of my dominant hand, pain, swelling, difficulty sleeping, and a host of other slings and arrows. But what stressed me was that the morning of the surgery, I received from a publisher an email I felt needed immediate attention. There I was, bandaged up, not in my right mind, and unable to respond as I wanted. Peace? I would have wrung my hands, but the cast made it impossible. Instead, I reminded myself of what I’ve learned through experience—when I think something is “bad,” it’s often a gift concealed to be revealed only when looking back.

I vividly remember the seeming tragedy of needing to go back to work but then finding I loved my new job. Then there were the two family moves I dreaded. The first allowed me to meet people who became essential to my life. The second allowed my children to make life choices that had amazing results.

Flip the Cloth

If we look at events from our limited human angle, we may see what looks like the backside of a cross-stitch embroidery with random knots and a chaos of threads going every which way. Let’s ask for the grace to flip the cloth, to see God’s point of view, and to co-create the colorful, meaningful, exquisite pattern of our lives. The surgery was only a few weeks ago, and maybe it’s too early for me to fully unpack God’s recent gift, but when I do, I trust gratitude will fill my heart as I see that my difficult time completed a Divine design.

Today, be aware.
God’s Life floods your heart.
It’s always Raining Grace.

Books by Sally