Devotionals

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Boone Blizzard

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 NASB

The SUV is loaded down with my family’s snow gear, snacks, and supplies. We are ready for our fun-filled weekend in the mountains of Boone, North Carolina. Who cares if the weather man is calling for a mini blizzard? We won’t let that stop our fun of snow tubing.

And then reality sets in- the closer we get to Boone, the more snow we see. The whole world is covered in a blanket of white. The roads are dangerously slick, especially for an SUV without four wheel drive. My husband is tense because of the hazardous driving conditions and the rest of the family is on edge. We creep along the winding roads until finally we reach the hill that leads to our hotel. We cannot get enough tire traction to make it up the steep hill and slide backwards. My daughter screams, terrified we will glide onto the road behind us that is filled with traffic. We try making it up the hill again only to slide uncontrollably sideways.

After much frustration, we realize this is not going to work and find a safe place to park at the bottom of the hill. In freezing cold temperatures as a million snowflakes hit our faces, we trudge up the mountain carrying all of our luggage to our hotel. This is definitely not how I want our quality family time weekend to start.

And it only got worse from there. I lose my favorite scarf, my daughter gets an awful stomach virus, and we have to cancel our tubing adventure. Nothing turns out as we planned. Everything spirals out of control- from the SUV on slick roads to the circumstances surrounding us. We feel helpless and hopeless.

Maybe you too have experienced times like this in your life. Some days, nothing seems to go right and you don’t know how to make it better. Find hope in the One who is in control of everything- the ever present, ever steady Lord. When your world is turned upside down and you are dizzy from trying to focus on anything that makes sense, rely on God to help you through. Seek comfort in the words from Romans saying, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Even when our perfectly laid out plans fail, God is in control. He is hard at work in all circumstances, the good and the bad. We can trust God at His word that He ultimately has our best interests at heart and has good things in store for us. It may be hard to see at the time, but eventually all things will work for good according to His will.

Our family trip to Boone has multiple silver linings. We learn a valuable lesson about never again purchasing an SUV without four wheel drive. Our little family burns off lots of calories as we hike up the mountain to reach our hotel destination. We discover a wonderful gem mining place that proves to be a lot of fun. And most importantly, we make memories that will definitely last a lifetime, which is our goal in the first place. Let God help you discover the silver linings in those difficult circumstances that befall you.

“Dear Lord, Thank you for the blessings that You give me. Help me realize You are constantly working in my life and have my best interests at heart. Help me deepen my faith in You and Your purposes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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