That Master Bathroom

I was sitting in my bathroom last night at 2am (one of the joys of giving birth to four kids and being 50) and in my sleepy state talking to God. He put a thought into my head that made me chuckle out loud. My new master bath used to be my son's bedroom, but before that it used to be our bedroom. When we moved here 22 years ago, we moved into this parsonage with the previous pastor and his wife. We lived in the small upstairs for 5 months with all our belongings packed into one end of the garage. (This was after living with my parents for a year and having all our things packed into their garage) All my kids slept in one room and Mike and I in the other. It was crammed and miserable. It was very hard keeping four young children quiet upstairs so they wouldn't bother the pastor. It's so easy for us as women to focus on the "now" and struggle with it in our own strength. We feel sorry for ourselves and don't give our problems to God and ask Him for help. At that time I felt like it would never end, we would never have our own home, I would never see my belongings again. BUT GOD KNEW. He knew that someday down the road I would be so humbled to have this home, His home, featured in a magazine. He knew that someday down the road that bedroom that seemed so tiny that Mike and I slept in, and shushed baby Kathryn to sleep in, would be our master bathroom. A bathroom that seems so big to me now. And I'm sure He just smiled. I'm reminded of Paul telling us in Philippians that whatever state we are in, we should be content. I can hear myself 22 years ago, whining and complaining and saying "I know I should be content, but...". We can feel sorry for ourselves over the silliest circumstances and use that saying so flippantly, forgetting that Paul was actually in prison when he wrote it. I was talking to a dear friend this week about our children and how it's easy for us as parents to look at the choices they make when they are younger and see a future ahead for them that could be good or bad because of those choices. We have been through it as parents and we have a hard time understanding why our children won't listen to our advice, because we can see what is ahead. Then God showed me my own heart and how I do that to Him all the time. I'm His child but I don't always trust that He is in control and I make wrong choices and I worry and fret and have pity parties about my circumstances, when all along He knows my future and that master bathroom that will someday be mine. Whatever circumstance you might be facing right now, just know that your Father knows what is ahead and He loves you, because you are His child. A master bathroom might not be in your tomorrow but if you are His child, streets of gold are. Trust your Father, give Him your circumstances then take His hand and walk with Him into that awesome future He has waiting just for you.