Spiritual Director · September 14, 2017

Devote #105

Let’s face it… life isn’t always fair.

I don’t know if it were meant to be fair. I guess, I don’t know what “fair” mean because it all depends on which side of the issue you’re on.

Here’s what I mean.

Almost two weeks ago, our parked car was hit by another car passing by. The driver did extensive damage to the left read end of our car, pushing it up over the curb, into somebody’s front yard. He was gracious enough to leave his name and number, and of course, we started the whole process with insurance companies.

Here’s the thing about our car. It’s a 2009 Saturn. It has almost 150,000 miles on it. And about 5 months ago, we finished paying it off.

The insurance company’s adjuster came out to take a look at it and his final determination was to total it. So, they’ve made that determination because of it’s age, it’s mileage, and it’s extensive condition, it’s no longer good enough to fix. It will cost them more to fix it then to just write us a check for what they think it’s worth. And while they’ve made that decision, I wait to find out what they’re going to offer me as fair market value. I don’t have much to say in this matter. It’s all in the hands of the insurance company. It’s doesn’t seem fair.

I’m sure there might have been times in your life, when something similar, or even worse, has happened to you. It was totally out of your hands… you had to sit and wait… and your outcome was going to be decided by someone else.

And then, maybe like me, you started questioning God about this supposed lack of fairness. You thought you had every right to try to get a pound of flesh out of Him as you rattled off all of your questions about what He was going to do… and when He was going to do it… and why this was happening to you. Remember?

I was jolted back to reality this morning as I was reading my Bible. Here’s what I read,

“Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did?” — Romans 9:20

Here’s my word of encouragement for you today

Bottom line is this: Either I trust God and know He’s got this whole situation taken care of for my good, or… (I’d rather not think of the alternative).

God is in control. He’ll take care of my situation and He’ll take care of your situation. He’s already given more than a pound of flesh. Jesus Christ gave His entire life for you. Talk about not being fair! He was completely innocent. He bleed… He died to give you and me life and to give it to us abundantly. That’s my story and I’m sticking too it.

Father,
You’ve got the whole world in Your hands, which includes even me. Thank You. Jesus, in Your name I pray, Amen.

—Rev. Dr. MM Marxhausen

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Mark was Spiritual Director for VdC from 2016 to 2019. He's written many of the devotions, especially the Devote and Affirm series, found on this website.