Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good….
Acadia National Park here we come! Our kids agreed to vacation with us in celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary. So off to one of our favorite spots when they were young—Maine’s rocky coast. Memories of campfires, lobster, popovers, hikes, bike rides and sunsets flooded my mind as we gathered in the house we’d rented for the week.
On our second day there, we headed for the bike path surrounding Eagle Lake. But somehow, we got mixed-up in our directions and ended up riding twice as long as we’d intended. Unfortunately, it began to rain, and when we finished our now 2 ½ hour trek, we were chilled to the bone. But it got worse.
I rode my husband’s electric bike. Not being used to the gears, I had to learn that my right hand controlled the accelerator, rather than the brakes, as was the case with my old bike. I was handling it pretty well until I reached the parking lot. Someone pulled out in front of me and I instinctively reacted with my right hand. Have you ever watched a senior citizen do a wheelie? Not a pretty sight! But thankfully, I came through it with only a few scratches, some bruises on my legs….
And a memorable moment.
Another one of those memorable moments occurred the evening we drove to the summit of Cadillac Mountain to view Acadia’s incredible sunset. The closer we got to the top, the worse the weather became. Fog, rain and wind engulfed the whole mountain top. But undeterred, we made it to the pinnacle. And laughed. We even took a family photo to commemorate the absurdity of going to watch a sunset with no sun.
But that memory of laughing with the family until our sides hurt meant more to me than viewing the most beautiful sunset in the world.
Scripture says God works all things together for good for those who love him. He turns bike ride bruises into symbols of living life. Washed out sunsets become pictures of joy overcoming disappointment.
So I’m grateful everything didn’t go quite as planned on our family vacation. Thankful for how God continues to help me let go of expectations in order to receive something better. How about you? Are you letting God turn every part of your life into something better?