Redemption

Redemption

O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows.

WE WERE ON OUR WAY to our daughter Jasmine’s birth mother’s funeral, and I was angry. Just a month earlier she had planned to come visit us for the first time. And all my dreams of Jasmine knowing her birth mom had played out in my mind.

But the meeting hadn’t happened, and instead we got a call a few weeks later that she had died unexpectedly. As we drove to the funeral, I was angry with God. It was a very good plan, God. Why couldn’t you have just allowed it to happen? I wanted you to redeem this situation.

Toward the end of the funeral and luncheon afterward, I had a quiet moment with one of Jasmine’s aunts who smiled as she watched Jasmine playing with her son. “I’m amazed at the way that God has redeemed my sister’s story,” she said.

And I stared at her blankly. I’m sorry—what?! I thought. I stuttered agreement as she explained.

“Jasmine,” she said. “Just look at her. God is redeeming my sister’s story through her life.” And she smiled as she said it, saying how grateful and encouraged she felt that God was affirming to her that her sister’s life had meaning and purpose, even amid all the pain.

I felt ashamed. Here we were, two women seeing the same situation but having a completely different response. She was seeing the Father’s heart, and I, in that moment, had forgotten. She could see the redemption of God, and I couldn’t. I wasn’t looking for it. I was angry that things didn’t turn out how I had planned, and I was questioning the goodness of God. I quickly asked God to forgive me and to give me eyes to see his redemption.

We’ve all experienced things in life that we wish had a different outcome. And we also have a choice of whether we will be angry with God or choose to look for his redemption in the midst of all our unmet expectations. Sometimes, it just takes a shift in our perspective.

Lord, thank you that even when things do not go as planned, your redemption, your goodness is still working behind the scenes. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: Write down a situation where you have unmet expectations and ask God to show you his redemption, even in the midst of what is hard.