Removed for Restoration

I remember a few years ago someone posted the following on Facebook,

“In life there are two certainties: You’ll never get everything you want and you’ll never want everything you get.”

Pretty Depressing Huh?  

Of course I commented at the time and today I feel the need to elaborate.

In a nutshell then, I explained that when we view everything we receive and do not receive from a Kingdom perspective, we learn to appreciate those things we get and learn to also be grateful for not receiving the things we thought we wanted.

That statement is truer now to me than it was then.

Her goes something:

I am a self-professed recovering “chocoholic,” and the notion to break my habit was only heeded because of the painful and ugly results of my “overdoing it.” I’ve been told that I have a nice smile and I tend to agree so when cavities threatened to ruin it, I had to do things differently. The problem was that despite my efforts to fix the situation myself, the damage had been done and the only option was to have a tooth removed.

Thankfully it was in the back so now it isn’t missed.  But at the time, I definitely felt the pain of the void for what seemed like an unbearable length of time.

So yes I had to endure some dental work that required a lot of time and money to correct.  All of which could have been avoided had I been a bit more conscientious.

And before I act as if I really learned my lesson with one cavity, I’d be lying.

Old habits are hard to break!  I had to loose a couple more before I realized that I can’t keep doing the same thing and expect to have a smile that shine’s bright like a diamond.  Thankfully, my wisdom teeth filled the void so I still have my “pearlies” in place.  In fact, it appears everything I lost has been completely restored!

I promise I have a point here folks!

Now, I didn’t start this post to give you a lesson in good dental hygiene-while it is a great rule of thumb-I just used the analogy to hopefully paint a picture to explain a few things I think would help you a lot more in the long run.

Most kids would eat candy all the time if allowed. I know my two would. However, as a mother, I have to restrict the amount because I know the consequences (personally and painfully).  Of course to a child limitations just seem unfair…

I know I know..there she goes with that dental hygiene thing again….but for real…hear me out…

With God we try to push the limits too.  So like a good parent, He limits us from receiving the things we desire sometimes as well.  And just like that child on the receiving end of that response no one really wants to receive.

“It’s not fair” is our typical response.

We may think, “I can handle it.  I know what I’m doing!” when really we’re more like the dude here:

You see God knows what’s best for us but sometimes the good of His decision can seem like the worse thing to ever happen to us. So like a child we may have a mini-tantrum.

But get this…tantrums don’t move God, faith does.

In other words, we must trust in His provision for us just as any good parent expects his or her children to do when they are denied certain requests.

And for some who may be wondering:

What about God granting the desires of your heart?

Well, I’m glad you asked.

As my faith has grown in God’s ability and willingness to have my back I’ve found that my desires have evolved to mirror His.

For example, like me, a desire of yours might be to be married.  That seems like a good desire that is in line with God’s word right?

Well, ladies and gents, years ago my idea of an ideal mate was completely skewed.  I wanted to ensure that the man I married worked and looked good enough to make me look good.

I know it seems pretty shallow, but growing pains are real…You live and You learn…You learn and You grow…I wasn’t concerned about his character or whether He loved the Lord then. (The consequences of those choices will definitely be a post for another day)

Perhaps I could care less about the values he had because I hadn’t developed the right ones myself yet.  Regardless, through trial and two errors, I know now I want a man with Godly character and who is suitable for me….someone to bring out the best in me so that I can do the same for him.

That change didn’t happen overnight so don’t think that if you get denied what you deem to be a blessing today that you will get results tomorrow.

While God is able to do just that, He is no microwave genie trapped in some container waiting to grant our every request!  No, God is not in the business of manipulating His children either.  Rather, He always has the end result in mind.

No matter what your request, God is more interested in what your desire will produce in and through you than what it can do for you.  That’s something we kids of the Kingdom have to grasp wholeheartedly before we can learn to appreciate the removal of certain people and things from our path.

So the next time you are tempted to get frustrated because the job or relationship you want doesn’t pan out as you plan, just remember that sometimes God removes people and things on purpose to position you for greatness.  And while the removal process may be painful and you feel a void for a while later.  Even gaping wounds heal with time and like me you’ll find that “wisdom” fills in the gaps perfectly if not better than that which was lost.  God already knows your worth and in time you will too!

©2015 Nadia Davis.  All Rights Reserved.