Their Eyes Were Watching What?

For anyone who has ever been on a subway, or even in a car as a passenger in thick traffic, it's the weirdest feeling. You are stilling still when another train or vehicle next to you starts moving. When the moving vehicle is your only point of reference, what happens? You feel like YOU are moving, right? Isn't it wiggy?

Life's like that sometimes. I had a dream once about one of my roommates moving out of the apartment. She was leaving so she could be closer to her new job. That was actually true in real life. But in the dream, as I saw her packing, I thought of the preparations I needed to make for myself to move. I felt like I was behind, and I needed to catch up! Then it dawned on me that I had no need to go anywhere. I wasn't leaving my job and had no reason to relocate. It was a great relief to realize it! I had forgotten my point of reference and all the great things God was doing in my own life at the time. I realized that things stay constant when we look at God, our giver of life, because they are established by Him alone.

But sometimes we are just fine, when suddenly we see that a friend is engaged. Or a friend is in a "better" job than we are. Or that our sister just had a baby when we are hoping to have one. Suddenly we feel like we are "behind schedule" and wonder what is wrong with us. But there isn't anything wrong; we need to adjust our perspective. What is right and needed for us is not determined by what people say or do. Long before any of these people or circumstances existed, a loving and tender God formed you out of His own heart so you could live out a purpose He determined. Doesn't that rock your mind? And when He did it, He had a book written that delineated what each day of yours would look like. All of the circumstances are masterfully used to draw you closer to Himself. He even uses the mistakes and things that shouldn't have happened in order to turn things around for your good. Isn't He something beautiful?

So don't be tempted to compare your life to the trains next door. It's like comparing the speed of a baby stroller to that of an airplane. If either tried to be like the other, it would cause problems since their goals and purposes are entirely different. In fact, one of them would probably burst into flames. But God has so many unique things for you! So let His sweet, gentle hands guide you in His perfect wisdom. He knows you so well!