Life.

It did it again.

Came, and knocked me sideways.

Matters of health. Matters of the heart. Matters of the head.

It didn’t matter to life.

Didn’t matter that THIS was not a good time. You know – during the holidays; at the beginning of a new year; during the first days of a new semester; after I had made some commitments and promises and begun some new endeavors, while other family “things” were going on…

Life did not care.

How can so many things be going sideways – all at once?

If you think I have an answer, stop reading right now.

I don’t have an answer. But through the past weeks I have gone from tears to a down right pity party to finally remembering that while I was caught completely off guard – or as I told a friend, having the rug pulled out from under my one good foot (the other one is actually broken) – Jesus was and is fully aware.

It is during times like these I remind myself that nothing catches my Lord off guard.

Why so much at once? I don’t know.  But if He has allowed this, He surely has a reason and, more importantly, He will surely use this for good. Possibly my good, perhaps someone else’s good, prayerfully for the good of His Kingdom. But He will, as He promised, work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

So knocked sideways? Stay in His purpose. Diligently obey Him and He will not only straighten things out, He will set you high above all the nations of the earth (Deuteronomy 28:1).