End in sight

What a difference a day makes. Just being in the office today and closing out the day I realised a bit more how little time I have left as I watched the day fly by. The end is in sight.

But the end is in sight for something else too. This whole ordeal with my car insurance claim (somehow 90% of my life's trials seem to centre around this car!) has taken a big step closer to resolution. An assessor indeed went to see my car yesterday, so now I'm able to get rid of it. So today I managed to get the scrap sold for R2,000, which I've offset against the towing and storage costs, leaving me R5,400 to pay. Now I should be able to get R1,850 for the towing back from the insurance company, but they will of course only pay me whatever market value they put my car at less whatever they deem the salvage to be worth (which they may well rate at more than R2,000). In any case I'm just glad that the incurring of expenses related to this car seems to be finished and I can now just await my settlement. It might just be settled before I leave, which I pray it is, but it'll definitely not be until next week. The good news is at least I can afford to wait a bit now as each day isn't costing me more money in storage fees.

What a mission this has been! I am certain beyond question that God has designed this whole thing. Who knows, it might not be over! :o) But in any case, for things to have gone this bad is just not normal. One could conclude God has it in for me, but I see that again and again He's come through and none of these torpedoes seem to ever sink this ship! The Bible says in Ps 34:19 that our trials will be many, but that the Lord will deliver us from them all (rather than prevent them all!).

Thinking on Monday about having this certainty of God's design, favour, and strategy in all this, I was so aware that this also has only come by the mercy of God. Looking at the circumstances doesn't lead me to this conclusion. My own insightful thinking hasn't found the hidden pattern in all this random activity. Nor has even my own faith or knowledge of the Bible that has been able to grow such confidence. No, such things need God's gracious revealing to our hearts. I'm not just suspecting that God might have had something going on in this, I am sure! I know what the Word of God says about this, but I have the grace to believe it! In a funny, circular-argument, sort of way, that just convinces me all the more that God is at work to refine my faith which is more precious than gold (and so certainly more precious than Rand!).

I hope you're well as you read this, but if you also face ongoing trial then I would encourage you to either:

a) Seek similar grace from God by humbly coming (for He gives grace to the humble) and asking Him to help you put Him at the centre of all this (as I've done so failingly at many times).
b) Realise, if you don't know the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, that your trials are designed to lead you to Him, who promises rest for the soul of the weary and heavily burdened (Mt 11:28ff).

One trial is (seemingly) ended; more shall come. But there shall be a day when those in Christ will have no more trials, where every tear shall be wiped from their eyes, and where an eternal weight of glory that feels far over and above even the hardest of their trials shall be their portion forever.

But now I'm getting into what I'll be preaching Sunday week! :o)

See you all soon!