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There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens

Ecclesiastes 3:1

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11

As my wife, our two preteens, and I drove home from Chicago in our 1988 Dodge van—during the times when tollbooths bridged the tollways—I was leaning away from the steering wheel, fingering my coins out of the ashtray. On my right, a speeding, detached tire vaulted across three empty lanes toward us. My eyes tracked its spin, hop, spin—bump. It hit my right rear tire. My family was safe, and from my rear-view mirror, I saw a three-wheel jeep ease to safety.

The damage was only a dented hubcap, trauma coupled with relief and a dose of thankfulness. We felt “someone” was looking out for us that day.

I was reminded of that accident recently when I saw a video clip of a similar mishap, but this time the van flipped. An online search for loose tire crashes returned hundreds of images of smashed vehicle windows, grills, side panels and the like. Injuries? Fatalities? Trauma? Grief? Yes, to all.

I wonder how the people felt during and after their accidents. Can you fathom their search for meaning? 

Think about the good times in your life. Think about the times you have suffered. What came out of those times–both the good and the hard ones? If you have found unexpected gifts, how do you explain them? How do you draw purpose or comfort from those experiences?

Today’s verse offers a perspective. It may not be possible to figure out why they occurred, for “no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end,” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), but we can find comfort in the promise “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

When I reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly of my life, I can’t help but see that “someone” is looking out for me. I know that God is in control–even in the unexplainable. 

Next Steps 

• If you have a prayer journal, look up a time you were desperately in need of God’s intervention, then reflect on how that time was later used by God. 
• Start a prayer journal and record answered prayers. Over time you may find God was with you in the ups and downs of life.