Miracle Maintenance
The holidays can be a stressful time in our household. Don’t get me wrong, it’s our favorite time of year. And yet, it can be tense. It may be the increase in church commitments, the influx of work and ministry opportunities, year-end closing procedures, holiday vacation planning and more. This year, Thanksgiving was perfect. But the weeks since Thanksgiving? That’s a different story. We were dealing with unique, external stressors that made us a little snarky with one another. Thankfully, we identified the origin and reconciled.
Although I wish we could avoid petty disagreements altogether, I’m grateful for our progress. There was a time I wondered if we’d ever mature in this area. During those times, I questioned our marriage often. Did we make a mistake? Did we move too fast? Lord, did we want to get married or did God want us to get married? I’d even asked my mother, “Why did you let me get married?” When everything was perfect, I was sure my marriage was God’s will. However, when things weren’t perfect and we had to fight to endure, I wondered if I’d missed God completely.
When I think about the times I’ve heard miracles and blessings from God discussed in church, it’s typically been accompanied with words such as “good” or “perfect.” They also referenced Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow with it.” And I believed all of it, literally. Since I’d gotten married God’s way, as a virgin, I believed my marriage would be easy, without sorrow or disappointment. Since we’d been together since high school, I believed the transition from dating to marriage would be smooth. I thought, if my marriage is a blessing from God, why would I experience trouble? If marrying my husband is God’s will for my life, why would it be hard? While that line of thinking makes sense to some, here’s the curve ball: God never promised it would be easy- He promised victory. The words aren’t synonymous, victory doesn’t equal easy.
As a result of this faulty thinking, we can quickly change our perspective about things we once considered to be blessings from God. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to change our prospective about our miracle when it requires more than we’re accustomed or willing to provide. You were happy with the relationship God told you to pursue until it got hard and required more work than you imagined. That job you prayed for and received was a blessing until you stopped getting a long with your supervisor. You saw your child as a miracle until they required more parenting or supervision than other children you know. No matter how much management or work our miracles require, they are blessings. Although tune-ups, training, counseling, education, medication, etc. may be required, it’s still a blessing. We can’t be ignorant or naive to believe that the enemy will allow us to live happily ever after with the people, things or opportunities God has given us without interference. The Bible warns, “Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.“ (I Peter 5:8) Therefore, management, supervision, care, attention, etc., for our blessings is essential.
“Every good gift bestowed, every perfect gift received comes to us from above, courtesy of the Father of lights. He is consistent. He won’t change His mind or play tricks...“ (James 1:17) Don’t allow the maintenance your miracles require change your perspective about what God has done. He who has provided, is faithful to help you to maintain.