God Meant it for Good

The very day I got my Surface Pro2 back from the shop (who cleanied it of all viruses and assured me now no worries, now it would be all fixed and no more crashes,)  it was crashing, not playing videos, not opening several apps, and sluggish. I called Microsoft on-line help, who were unfailingly polite, but even after taking over my computer remotely, couldn't help me. Then they hung up on me. I don't know if it was on purpose, but they didn't call back. And after 2 hours on the phone, much of it on hold, I was not happy. Grrrrrr.

So, I brought it (back) in to the Microsoft store yesterday.  They listened to the list of issues and said the easiest thing to do would be to switch it out for a new one (again) which is what they had done two weeks ago. 

I explained I am an author, and this would be the second switch to a new one, and for months I had been coming in with issues. Each time they take it from me, I can't work on my books. Furthermore, hours and hours have been spent on the phone trying to solve the ongoing concerns.

The manager was great. She said immediately that she would give me full purchase price of my Pro2 to upgrade to the Pro3. (That's the newest Surface computer model and I so wanted it!) I'd been playing with the Pro3 while waiting for the technician to help me the last time I'd been in. In fact, I had drawn a picture with the new improved pen on the new improved screen, and the store manager had taken my photograph. I lusted after the Pro3, but knew I should not even begin to think of getting it. Too expensive, and my Pro2 was only a year old. I would never have even thought to pray for it. I would not bother God with such a selfish prayer.

And yet...look what God did with the trouble and dismay and lost time over my cantankerous Pro 2! He gave me an (un-needed) desire of my heart, one I hadn't even dared ask for. Of course, if I am going to write, I must have a working, reliable computer, and certainly God knows that. And He knows I want to write messages that draw others to Him. But I could have limped along with what I had. 

To think I'd been groaning and moaning about all the troubles the Pro2 was giving me! Now I praise God for those troubles! I suspect it was no accident that my Bible Study was about Joseph, and how his brothers threw him in the well, leaving him to die. They meant it for harm, but God used it to bring about immense good. In the interim of course, Joseph was thrown into slavery, and then prison, before being finally restored as the Pharoah's right hand man. However, while enslaved and imprisoned, I will bet he wasn't feeling so beloved of God. But He was! Even in the midst of all that trouble, God was working and preparing Him, and ultimately rescued Him for a great purpose.

Take heart! Take heart! What feels like constant struggle and evil may be like Joseph's well. Others may have meant it for harm, but God can use it for good. 

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Genesis 50: 15-21

15And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 18And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

Nothing is impossible with God

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Pausing to Discern

It was flipped upside down, from darting tongue to frantically wiggling tail. I don't know who had flipped it or why, but likely I had interupted a bird about to feast. I could see all its little underbelly scales which are used to propel snakes at an alarmingly fast 13 km/hr. It was orange-ish,  so I thought it might have been a corn snake or (horrors!) a copperhead.

The corn snake is a docile creature, reluctant to bite and very helpful in keeping the rodent population under control. It has an unfortunate similar color/markings to the poisonous copperhead, so my first response on seeing the baby wiggling helplessly upside down was to shriek and find someone to stomp on it. But that moment passed and I paused to watch it. I saw then that the distinctive poison snake triangle head was not there, thus deduced it was a harmless and even useful corn snake.

As I watched, it reminded me of a turtle on its back, flailing helplessly unable to flip over. I thought briefly about helping it, but that idea quickly passed as I remembered how much I abhor snakes. But somehow, my better nature wouldn't allow me to pass it by. It was a baby, afterall. So I stood there, shielding it from whatever predator had flipped it, and cheered it on.

"You can do it, snake!" I encouraged, "Exert yourself!"
The snake wriggled frantically. I knew I would have nightmares, but I continued to watch the mortal struggle. The darker diamond markings would have fooled anyone. Why would a harmless and even in the snake world, docile snake want to look like the murderous Copperhead? How many innocent corn snakes had been stomped on by herpetophobics?

Finally, beginning with the tail, the little underscales began to grab at the ground, and as it slowly found traction, it began to flop over. Before it could totally unroll and escape with the possibility of darting into my shoes and paralyzing me with fear, I hurried on with my interrupted walk. 

But I continued to consider the thought of the benign masquerading as poisonous.  It was the opposite of the snake in the Bible who was death itself masquerading as life. In both cases, I think God was telling me that what was needed was discernment.  Things are not always what they seem. First blush responses are sometimes not based on truth. At times, it is best to overcome aversion, prejudice, fear, preconceptions.... and pause long enough to discern what is dangerous, and what is not.  I am an impulsive creature with an almost pathological desire to do things quickly and early. The older I get, and the more slowly my neurons fire and my muscles respond, I am being forced to slow down and consider more before action. And I am finding more and more that sometimes those Copperheads in life are really Corn snakes.
What looks like death, is really benign, even useful.

Even the disciples were thrown into dismay when their "so-called" Lord was carried from the cross, dead.
All their hopes and dreams of the victorious Messiah gone.  And then, He appeared, resurrected, back from the hellish journey where He had to bear separation from His Father long enough to carry the horrific burden of our sins and pay the penalty we would now not have to. What looked like defeat was the Ultimate Victory. Perfect Justice and Perfect Mercy all rolled up in one act.

I am glad I stopped and watched the baby snake. As it slithered off in one direction, I scurried off in the other, smiling instead of shuddering.

Genesis 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.