And All Things Work Together

Romans 8:28 is a very familiar verse in my youth, to such an extent I can even recite it now, several backsliding years later. "And all things work together for good to those who love Him, to those who were called according to His purpose."

This morning, I was reminded of this verse again, especially the word "all". The word encompasses everything that has happened in my life, from the minute I was born until now. It bespeaks a strange yet awe-inspiring mystery--that God is in charge of my life from the time I came to this world. Actually, the Bible (Isaiah, if I'm not mistaken) has it that He knew me from the time I was in my mother's womb, even formed me, molded me.

I was in His hands this entire time, yet it didn't feel that way.

I don't know why this verse came to me this morning, or why this is my first post. God works in strange and mysterious ways.

I just knew that for the past few weeks, no, pardon me, years, my mom has been nagging me about marriage. It has just gotten so intense the past few weeks that I sometimes don't want to take her call. I know she loves me and is worried for me and I love her, but give me a break! I don't want to marry for the sake of getting married, nor do I want to settle for less than marrying the man I love and who loves me in return. And even though my biological clock is making her panic (and me, too, sometimes), I don't want to be foolish and hasty.

I used to wonder, too, why God hasn't seen fit to send him to me yet. (Wasn't Jacob sent to Leah's and Rachel's hometown?) I wondered why He would grace some not-so-devoted believers this grace (or is it cross?) and not me, who was zealous and burning for Him. It's just not fair. Maybe He didn't really love me.

And so, this verse Romans 8:28 came to me. Perhaps God knew something I didn't. Perhaps being single (at least, 'til now) is the best for me. And I realized something, too. "All things" included my mother's nagging, though I'm still not clear how that is good for me, since I usually ended up not happy after a nagging session. I don't think my mom is much happy either.

And then, I read the recent post on Katherine's Mom's blog. It's a blog I came upon last month and have been following. Because of her, I was inspired to start this blog. In this post, she wrote the following:

"Sometimes we may feel as if our heavenly Daddy has abandoned us, as well.

But He hasn't. It's just that we can't always see His heart.

We have to try to focus on the Big Picture. In the end, all will be well. Everything will be resolved. We will understand fully, even as we're fully understood. Until then, we struggle through this mortal existence with partial clarity, doing the best we can with the cards we've been dealt. We fall, and rise back up; we're broken, and then mended."

In the end, all will be well.