Last night I was part of  an incredible Twitter praise party.  We raced around shouting praises in 140 character spurts while we texted each other and laughed and cried.  This spontaneous praise party came about when we heard that Joanne opened one eye.

Let me back up, Joanne is a 38 year old wife & Mom of two who suffered a major  stroke on January 11th.  But Joanne is so much more than that.  She’s a fellow believer and lover of Jesus. She’s sassy and bold.  She’s real and she’s fun.  She’s a girl who I ‘talk’ with through twitter, facebook and  her blog, The Simple Wife.  Joanne is the thread that has stitched together a community of believers and made us one amazing crazy quilt!

When news of Joanne’s stroke made it to twitter and facebook, it was like a bomb went off.  The tweets and facebook posts called for prayer.  And oh how the prayers went up.  We prayed for miracles.  For recovery.  For doctors, nurses, staff and we prayed for the family.  For her husband and daughters.  For her parents and sister.  We prayed as her friend and as a sister in the faith.  We prayed.  Oh, how we prayed.   And we’re still praying.

I specifically prayed for the BIG miracle.  I prayed for Joanne to wake up. But more than that, I prayed that she would be fully recovered.  I prayed that regardless what the medical community said, she would have no effects – she would be just like she was before.

I prayed  this  alone when it was  just me and God and I prayed it with groups of women as we gathered via phone and computer.  I prayed for the BIG MIRACLE.
I prayed for the WHOLE SHEBANG…. and last night when I read Joanne opened one eye and was trying to open the other I thought don’t get too excited just yet. And then it hit me… do I not TRUST Him?

I want to trust Him, but I can’t let myself go completely.  What if He lets me down?  What if we don’t get the Big Miracle?  What then?  Lord, Your reputation is on the line here.  These people are expecting a miracle and You need to deliver one.

Whoa!  God does NOT need me to protect His image. His reputation will be just fine without my help.  God does NOT grant promises like a Genie in a bottle.

I wasn’t protecting God, I was protecting me.  I didn’t want to HOPE and then see those hopes dashed when God didn’t give me what I prayed for.

Because sometimes God doesn’t do things the way I want them done – shocking, I know.   Sometimes I don’t understand His ways – like when a 38 year old wife & Mom is struck down by a massive stroke.

But I know this —  His ways are not my ways and His will is perfect.  I know this because His Word says it’s so.

So while I still don’t understand His ways and I never will this side of Heaven, I trust God has an incredible plan.  I place ALL my hope in Him because He alone is my hope – not a wishful thinking, but a certainty of my faith in Him.

It’s in this HOPE that I will stand.  God is in control.

Praise His HOLY NAME!

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col. 1:27