Refined as Gold

Job 23:8-10 says, "But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."

I've been thinking about making God smile this week... What makes God smile? Often we think of very grand things. Maybe it is the simple. When I go through the fire, do I come out as gold? That certainly would make God smile. We are so task oriented that we focus on the end of the journey. Maybe it's the journey that we should focus on. Does God smile when he sees my everyday, normal, behind closed doors life?

Sunshine and Rain

Today in Grand Rapids we experienced a rainy, overcast morning. My grass and flowers were parched and thirsty. You could see the effects of our dry hot weather in my yard. I am reminded that just like the grass and flowers, my life needs to experience the rain sometimes too. My spirits today matched the weather here. My soul is crying out because of a pending delay in my departure to Ukraine. Realizing that a few months is a drop in the bucket in light of eternity does not always 'feel' better...

So I spend time on my knees. Begging for peace and continued direction.