Have you ever experienced that moment when you look up in the sky and announce “that is NOT funny” but would swear you hear a giggle? There are days when I feel that is all I do.

Creating a successful writing and speaking career pushed me to abandon the way things had always been and choose to become more organized, focused, consistent and determined. It was hard and sometimes painful to the flesh, and many moments left me looking around thinking I was being punked. I kept pushing and finally found the path comfortable and smooth.

Monday – I clicked through my to-do list like Pez. Everyone arrived at their meeting on time. Meals were eaten as a family and prepared from scratch. I even knocked out over 6000 words, above and beyond the target.

Tuesday – I continued down the same path. It would have been nice to have a perfect repeat, but all the tasks were on target. The schedules I had around the house kept all of us focused and the organizational tools I had installed worked like a charm.

Wednesday – I should have known that things were going to be different when the tornado warning system woke me. The chaos that day left me looking up and asking, "Aare you kidding me?” The day ended as one of those times when it feels like life is just a joke to God. The more days have passed, the more I began to see the hand of God in our situation.

God's Hand at Work

1. Our home’s location was tucked deep in the valley on a knoll just above a creek.

2. A chance meeting of a man with a passion for revitalizing old homes and old objects gave us the courage to move a house instead of building one.

3. The house that we chose was the first one the mover said he had moved that did not bow under its own pressure. It was solid – made with tongue and groove floors, walls and ceilings, plus 1 x 6 subfloors and roof decking.

4. The addition we built on five years ago required taking down four trees on its site.

The morning of April 27^th, three massive hardwood trees fell on that new addition, but the strength of the wood in the original house kept us safe. Dozens of other trees also came down along the creek and driveway, but the funnel cloud slid down off the mountain and never actually touched down in our valley.

I realized that many of the moments when I was questioning God’s motives were those very moments He was preparing my life for the coming storm.

I do believe God has a sense of humor. I also know that He loves me and never laughs at my expense. I have to learn that it may not always make sense today, but that the guiding hand of my Father will put me where I need to be if I choose to follow His promptings.

When you look up and demand, "Are you kidding me?” take some time to write down the moments leading up to the situation so that you can review God’s blessings after the storm.