The Whole Parade

Read: Isaiah 55:8-9; John 9:1-3 “Why, God?” murmured Jolene as she hugged her baby brother. They had recently learned that Jaiden was deaf. “Oh, Jolene,” Mom had said gently after they found out. “I don’t know why God allowed this to happen. His ways are not like ours, but He is good and loves us so much that He sent His own Son to save us from the mess sin made of us and our world. Even when we don’t understand, we know that Jesus understands what we’re going through and promises to be with us.” But Jolene wanted to understand. Isn’t God supposed to take care of Christians? she thought. How can Mom and Dad be so calm? Mom interrupted Jolene’s thoughts. “Are you ready to go to the parade, Jolene?” She held out her arms to the baby. “Come to Mommy, Jay.” “I don’t see why you talk to him, Mom. You know he can’t hear you!” “It’s important for him to see our lips move and feel the vibration of our words,” said Mom. “Now, let’s get going.” At the parade, people were standing three-deep in front of Jolene’s family. She stood on her tiptoes and tried to see past those in front of her. “It would be so much better if I could see more than just one row of the parade at a time,” she said. Dad handed Jaiden to Mom, and with a swoop, Jolene was up on her father’s shoulders. “Thanks, Dad! Now I can see the whole parade.” Soon the parade was over and they were on the way home. “Life is a lot like a parade,” Dad said. “We’re like kids in the crowd, and we can only see one moment at a time. But God is above the crowd. He sees each person’s entire life—past, present, and future. We don’t know why He allowed Jaiden to be deaf, but that’s because we can only see the present. God knows why because He sees the whole picture.” Mom nodded. “He’s working everything out for good and promises to be with us for every step of the journey.” Jolene reached out to hold her sleeping brother’s hand. She knew it was time to bring her hurt and questions to Jesus. –Barbara J. Westberg How about you? Are you confused or angry about something that happened? Bring your hurt and questions to Jesus. You can trust Him, even when you don’t understand. We see only a small part of life, but He sees it all from beginning to end. Trust Him to do what’s best because He died to save you and promises to work everything out for good. When you face hard things, go to Jesus. Today's Key Verse: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV) Today's Key Thought: Trust Jesus when you don’t understand