This. Is. Good.

I caught part of a sermon yesterday, not to mention a pretty incredible interview before that, that happens to be a great extension to yesterday's post on timing and how things play out.

So, the story goes that a king and his best friend went out hunting. Now the best friend is ever the optimist. A glass-half full guy, yet to be convinced to the contrary. Somehow he fails to load the gun properly, and sadly, when the king fires at whatever game they were hunting, a mishap occurs and the king loses the top of his thumb.

Our optimist best friend responds as he always does... "this is good."

"Good? How is this good? Half my thumb is missing?"

"I don't know", the friend replies, "but it is."

Surely, there must be a consequence, despite being an accident, so the king puts his friend in prison for a 1-year sentence. The following year, before the friend's time is up, the king goes hunting again... this time, in an unfamiliar region. It turns out, the region was inhabited by cannibals.

As they were prepping the king for dinner, is about the time they noticed the missing half of his thumb.

(this is still good, right?)

As the king's fortune would have it, the cannibals had a superstition; the end result being, their victims had to be whole. The king not meeting this requirement, the cannibals let him go. Realizing the gun incident from the previous year just redeemed his life, he heads for the prison. Naturally, he releases his friend, shares this incredible story and offers his apologies.

Upon hearing this great news, the ever-optimist friend answers, "No worries. It was good you put me in prison!"

"Now, I know you're crazy, my friend. How is it good that I put you in prison?"

*Herein lies the wisdom of our optimist.

"For had you not put me in prison, I would have been with you. Hunting in an unfamiliar region of cannibals. And I have my two, whole thumbs."

We don't always know how things end.
We don't always know how things play out.

Yet no matter the difficulty and challenges we face, the divine hand of God is at work.

Sorry... I took a thought break for two minutes, scrolled briefly through Facebook and Elevation Church is playing a sermon video clip. Reading the captioning, the pastor speaks...

"We always think God's presences is about fixing our problems.
But what if God's presence is about fixing your perspective?"

Well, that couldn't tie in to this post any better, could it? I think not.

As we pray for missionaries on this #missionsFriday, pray that God would open hearts and minds anew to the power of perspective, perseverance and persistence. May discouragement and frustration not be the elements that cause them to miss opportunities for the miraculous. Though the stress levels are high and the unknown, anxiety-inducing, pray the peace of God would surpasses not only all understanding, but all confusion. Pray God would strengthen their resolve to continue in the work and ministry which they have been called; to trust the hand of God even when He may not be traceable.

Confident in God's plan
Trusting of His character
Obedient to His voice.
For all that God has made,
He has called Good.
For His glory
For the cause of Jesus Christ.

- PNC

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