37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” – John 4
We occasionally find bugs around the church. The discovery used to gross out my girls. They would run away or get me. Now the girls go over and study the bug. Then rush off to find Aiden – another bug for his collection.
The world does not work the way it should. This morning Aiden got on a plane to head to Kentucky. Yesterday the court made the decision. In a perfect world this does not happen.
We should keep this in mind when we speak of “God’s plan”. In the aftermath I have heard people say they do not understand God’s plan. But the world is broken by humanity’s sin. By our sin. We can not expect the best thing to happen. We should not expect God’s desire to happen. (I have written about this before here.)
Where does that leave us? Can we only hope and pray? Will we always be defeated? Prayer is essential to our role, but we can not forget – in the brokenness we were blessed to meet Aiden (in a perfect world we never meet Aiden – because the state’s foster system is not necessary). God called His people to action, to love this child. Though the world is broken, our Lord’s vision remains. His calling continues. We must remember our role in the world – as Christ followers – is to live out God’s plan. To live out life in God’s Kingdom.
So for a moment we were blessed to know Aiden. More than anyone the Black family lived out God’s love for this child – His child. And for a moment the world was right again.
We can not control everything. God does not control everything – but allows freewill. So at times it may seem as if the world is under the control of sin. Yet that is no longer true. The cross has wrestled away sin’s dominion. The wheat and tares are now intertwined. Each Growing. And where we plant seeds – they will grow. (Matthew 13:24-30)
As adults we forget our most formative years. Our personality, our trust, our worldview are shaped radically by the early childhood we barely recall. Aiden spent many of these days with us, and the Blacks have sown seeds of Christ into his life. So planted, the seeds will grow. Aiden may not remember how they were sown. But days upon days life will grow inside him. Others will reap and celebrate when he comes to know the Lord. But we shall know who planted the seeds.
When you find a bug at the church please take a moment to pray for Aiden. Ask our Father that these last words will become true. Then take a moment to ponder how you can live as the Blacks – sowing the Kingdom into this broken world.
PLUNGE47 
May God bless the seed planters.
Beautiful story.
I have been chewing on this PLUNGE since Wednesday. I cant wrap my mind around it. I know we have thwarted Gods plan because of our sins. I know it is not Gods desire for awful things to happen to people. I know that God can take an awful happening and make good things come out of it. But I have always believed that when we pray specifically, God answers. His answer IS His desire; yes, no, wait. It is my job to specifically pray, and respect what Gods answer is (I fail at this at times). I need to believe His answer is best, even though, humanly speaking, it looks so wrong. I need to know when I pray for “His will in a situation, whatever happens IS His will. Otherwise, why go to the trouble to pray at all? So Im unclear about, we should not expect for Gods desire to happen. Help me along, preacher!
Hey Joanie, thank you for the reply and I am glad you are willing to struggle with the questions. God is bigger than we can fathom and if we ever think we fully understand – then we have boxed in the Creator.
On your question, you are wondering if God’s desire always happens? I believe you answered the question in the beginning of your writing. Does God want sin? Did God will sin to happen? Is God’s desire for the violence and abuse of this world?
There are some who would say “yes” to these questions. They believe God is fully in control and everything that happens is His will.
But I disagree, because, if what they believe is true, then there is no choice – no freewill. We are chess pieces God is moving. More crucial – If what they believe is true, then God desires evil!
What I believe is that God allows free will. To allow this He can not be fully in control. God did not desire sin, but He allowed us to choose. He continues to allow us to choose.
Is the world out of control? Well, the world is sinful. BUT, at any point God can step in and create His will. He is God. He is going to do this in the last days. Those events are predestined.
But at times He steps in throughout history. This is why we pray, we ask God to intervene. We also pray for ourselves – that we may know His will. That we may know how we should act.
I believe this last step is often forgotten. We are waiting for God to intervene when He is calling us to take action. He is asking us to be His hands and feet.
I believe the story of the wheat and the tares is a good illustration (mentioned above – Matthew 13). God allows good and evil to grow together. And He is calling His good people to rise up and heal this world’s brokenness.