God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.Ephesians 1:9-11 

Dear God, I cam across a verse similar to this the other day–talking about how you are working everything out within your plan. While I can appreciate that, it can be hard to see what you are doing. 

I think the biggest jump for us to make is to see time and the big picture the way you see them. Several years ago I came up with a line that we measure time in days months and years while you look at it in years, decades and centuries (and even millennia). And then you factor in the free will thing and people (including me) disobeying you and it gets messy beyond all reason. 

Father, right now I’m thinking about the chaos is what happened at that church yesterday morning. For a while a little over 20 years ago, my wife and I attended a church that small. It sounds like just about every person in the room was injured or killed. Lord, I don’t know where all this is going or how it all turns out, but I ask that you please make this pain and suffering count for your glory and your plan. 

In Jesus’s name I pray,

 Amen