My Downs, God's Ups

Well, that just about describes how it works, huh? I get all down because of my family situation or my money or my... whtever. Then God swoops in and takes me to new heights. Awesome.

I just got back from the CVC Dayton service, and Pastor Jack told a story that went something like this:

"There was this pastor at a church and he had arranged to package up crates full of supplies to send to a missionary in Africa. So he and his congregation met one morning and spent the whole day nailing crates together, packing them, sealing them up, and sending them away. After a long day, they finally sealed up the very last crate and sent it off. Everyone left, and the pastor locked up the church before heading out to his car. When he strated it up and began to back out, he made a startling discovery - he could hardly see because wasn't wearing his glasses. So he went back into the church and searched forever for them, but couldn't find them. And it was then that he remembered - he had taken them off and rested them on a crate earlier that day. So the glasses must have been sealed up in a crate and sent off to Africa! Well, the pastor wasn't very wealthy, and because he needed such a strong perscription, the glasses were very expensive. So he went back out to his car and began to question God. He yelled and screamed, asking God, 'Why? Why would you take them from me when I need them and they cost so much and I barely have enough money as it is to keep food on the table for my family?' About two weeks later, the missionary from Afric showed up at the church to talk about his experiences. At the end of his story, he thanked the church for thier generous donations. He said, 'I would especially like to thank you all for the very personal gift. You see, a few weeks ago, bandits and vandals came into our village and tore apart everything. They looted even the inside of the church, and during the process, they smashed my glasses to smitherenes. Without them , I am practically blind. But when your crates arrived, the very first one we opened up had a pair of glasses in them, resting on top of a blanket. I put them on, and they were the exact persciption I needed. I wanted to thank you so much for the glasses.' The pastor of the church was standing in the back of the congregation with tears running down his face, because he now saw that depite how things look, God is always in control and His plan is more genius and amazing than any we could come up with."

Luke Everett calls them "Godincidences." A good friend* and I still call them "coincidences," but with this kinda emphasis on the word which denotes our disbelief. I've had a tough week... well, a tough couple of weeks... dealing with this stuff God's doing in my life. But who am I to get mad or frustrated at God's plan? Not only did God have a hand in that story, but He also shaped it into my life by giving me hope when I so deperately needed it. I was sitting in the cold, hard, foldable chairs in the Sutro gymnasium when I felt God smiling down at me. It's that indescribeable joy and peace that He graces us with from time to time... the kind I experienced for the first time one night on March 23rd in the Capitol Grounds at Carson City.

I just wanted to say sorry. Sorry, God, for getting so bent out of shape at these things you do that are, eventually, for the better - for Your glory. I'm begging your forgiveness.

I also played today at the service**, which was awesome. We did "Beautiful One," "Only You," "King of Glory," and "All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises." I love that God's gifted me with the skills to worship Him so freely and with such intensity. Playing through the songs, I can finally (if even for a little while,) just let go of my "baggage." I can stop caring about what time I have to be at work, or how much gas is in my tank. I can forget about how tired or hungry or thirsty I am. I can just let the rhythms roll off my sticks, let my spirit dance, and let my mind focus completely on God. It's spectacular.

Well, I've got to be going now. No telling when I'll be able to do my next blog entry, since we're taking the computer from here (the old house,) to there (the new house,) tomorrow, and we don't have internet there yet. Hopefully I'll get back online before school starts, though, because I want to unpack some of the crazy stuff God's done in me or through me this summer.

Thanks to everyone who's still reading my blog!


Later,

Daniel K

*Sorry, I meant to put "The best friend God could ever give me."
**And it should be noted that I tried my very hardest not to look nervous, even when I bobbled the beat or stumbled over a fill on occasion. :)