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Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel “How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him,” he accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.”

“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow, instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don’t turn out the way it seems they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” You just might not know it until some time later…

Anonymous illustration found online.
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Two months before my beloved husband of 31 years died…the Lord spoke to my heart and said to me, “You are about to enter the GREATEST season of your life!” Blessed by those words with vision of Mike and I growing old and sharing God’s love with others together…I was shocked when Mike was suddenly “absent from the body and present with the Lord”. In questioning, I shared that with my pastor, and he answered with wisdom, “Sandy, our definition of great and God’s definition are not always the same.” In keeping with the above story…”Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Since Mike’s sudden departure, many of my writings have being flung around the world via the internet. The night before Mike “moved to Heaven”, he and I were talking about the impact the internet could have on people through the writing ministry that was at that time just a “seed” in my heart. He encouraged me for 8 years before he died to transpose the things he had faithfully watched me pen in journals…to the web…yet I never did until AFTER his “Homegoing”. His influence was great upon me in many ways. A dear pastor from Oklahoma wrote to me a few days after Mike died saying, “What two began…one will complete.”
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“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us….for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption , the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do see, then we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

“Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we KNOW that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:18, 22-28)

We are to rest in God’s Hands…trusting Him.  That is what we must always do when things happen that we do not understand nor would choose in the “natural.”

“God is Spirit…and they that worship Him MUST worship Him in spirit and in truth, “ John 4:24 The truth is….”Things are NOT always what they seem.”

Continuing to look unto Jesus…even when things seem to take a turn we would not choose…

Sandy

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