So sweet. God's providential care is so sweet. How mysteriously and paradoxically wonderful is his work of sanctification, that he chooses to grow us through experiences and circumstances that deepen and ground us in more depth to the truths we may already know in our minds, but of which we have not yet even scuffed the surface.
I think it worthwhile to recount some of God's providential care in this week.
During the Sovereign Grace pastors conference, Tuesday through today, I have been babysitting the Heitland children. For two evenings, nights, and mornings I "played house" with four precious young souls. In God's gracious way, he highlighted his kind providential care.
He providentially ordained that I would run late with the kids on Tuesday night, fighting for ten minutes to subdue a car seat. He knew that two year old Greta would not stay in Alpha kids childcare but cling to and demand my attention the whole evening. He also ordained that she would nonetheless sit patiently and quietly on my lap, so I could be in just enough of the Theos Vital Life class to be reminded of God's specific involvement in every detail. Listening to Ray speak about God's providence was very applicable and calming as I was dealing with her, feeling haphazard and out of place that evening.
He foreknew that Claudia would be awoken twice that night by a fever and that my overall sleeping hours would be few. He involved himself in the details of healing her body through the night and bringing her new mercies in a healthy body the following morning.
Our Father predestined that yesterday the two eldest would collide on a trampoline, causing Claudia's teeth to cut into Morgan's head and require medical attention in the form of staples. He also provided for this to occur at the home of a nurse and mother who skillfully knew how to proceed, as well as ordained that the timing would be such that I would be finished at work in time to pick up the other three. Even the detail of being stalled at work by shattering a glass in the kitchen was not out of his foresight and care, and neither were the incorrect google map directions.
Our God knew that Morgan would come back to a house with a young and insufficient caretaker, who lacked the expertise to adequately care for her emotional and physical needs as well as tend to the bedtime of two highly distractible younger siblings, one of whom delighted herself by running around butt naked and the other who clung to his indecisive yet strong opinions on his preferred jammie attire for the night. And the same Father had planned from before time that he himself would be her primary caretaker and dramatically turn her heart to his peace and joy. God's kind providence ordained that the last hour of a tumultuous day would be filled with laughter, fellowship, and enjoyment for two big little girls whom he holds dearly in his hand. And in his sweetness, he granted a restful night to the Heitland home.
Our Father knows how to care for his own.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
Psalm 139:16-18
I'll leave you with a funny. On the way "home" from Vital Life in my noisy car, one sentence stood out from the rest.
Aaron asked Claudia,
"If you kill a bear, is it dead?"
