Connecting the Dots

There was not a drop of me, left in me.
Who was I if not a stay at home mother of three, a wife and homemaker, a church volunteer? I had home educated my children and the season was over. My offspring had exciting opportunities ahead for them; a bright future, the sky was the limit. But what was I left with?
Suddenly, everyone could drive themselves, clean themselves, cook themselves; making me completely unnecessary for day-to-day operation. But God…God had a plan that was bigger than I had ever expected. This is the story of the unfolding of that plan. And it is in this story that I hope that you will see that He has a plan for you, a marvelous, more-than-enough plan for you.

Steve Jobs inspired the graduates of Stamford College in 2005 with these words, “…you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

The Apostle Paul said it like this, “…but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:13-14

It isn’t time to look back until you’ve reached a pinnacle, a prize.

Victory is the time to take notice of the Master’s plan, and how He worked all of those dots together to bring you to His will for your life, which is life abundant.
When mountain climbing, the steeper the incline, the less perspective the climber has. When scaling a cliff, the only thing you can see is the wall of rock in front of you. You may be digging your nails into the side of a mountain, grabbing at roots and praying that your footing holds. Your cheek may be resting on a precipice straight in front of you, and when you look to see where your destination lies, your vision may be blinded by the noonday sun as the mountain seems to reach endlessly above you. But you must keep climbing. Keep climbing to see how all of those dots connect. Keep climbing to view the hand of God, preparing, prodding and yes, sometimes even pushing you to a place higher than yourself. Higher than your abilities. Higher than your plans. Higher than your perspective could possibly be when you are hanging on for your very life.

It’s a type of Pilgrim’s Progress, as the deluge begins at some dangerous point of your journey…

because images are distorted when looking through rain beads on your spectacles.

Each drop magnifies the miniscule while it diminishes the mighty. Perspective is disjointed and broken, disconnected like shards of glass. The cloudburst creates slippery slopes, and you begin to slide down, down until your foot catches a root, or a rock. You catch your breath on that firm footing. Thankful for the object supporting you, and keeping you from being crushed at the mountain’s base…until discouragement settles in and you realize how much ground you’ve lost. You want to give up, and give in to the monstrous mountain. It feels as though it has conquered you, and that the path you are on is heading nowhere. But keep on reaching and pulling yourself higher, because when you get there, I promise, the view is dazzling.
The river you almost drown in is sparkling with beauty. Bright green moss now covers the slope you seemed to lose ground on. The road you’ve traveled, though at the time seemed aimless, now makes perfect sense. Stop trying to figure it out when your perspective is hindered. Keep climbing, and when you’ve reached the top of your mountain, and the fresh mountain air cleans your lungs, you’ll see it. You’ll see His hand in every difficulty molding and guiding you to your next destination. Then, you will realize that you are only beginning your journey and that a new mountain awaits your well traveled feet.

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!