Questioning God's Methods

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:8-9

Normally when I get in my car to go somewhere, the first thing I do is make sure my phone connects to my car so I can turn on my favorite playlist before I start driving. But that wasn’t the case on this one particular summer afternoon. As I was digging through my purse to find my phone, the radio started playing, and the man’s voice coming through the speakers was telling the story of a woman named Amy Carmichael. I ended up sitting with the car in park for another 15 minutes as he talked about her amazing story.

Amy Carmichael was a missionary in India during the early 1900s. During her time there, she helped so many people, specifically by rescuing and ministering to young girls who were being forced into prostitution. After describing the amazing impact Carmichael had in India, the man on the radio explained that after 30 years of ministry, she took a bad fall, one that left her bedridden for the final two decades of her life. 

At this point, I was confused. Why in the world would God allow this woman to experience such a major setback when she was doing so much for the kingdom? Why would God allow something to happen to her to keep her from the work He’d called her to do?

As I kept listening, I realized it was because the Lord had different work for her to do. 

During the final 20 years of her life, Amy Carmichael wrote over 20 books from her bed. So no, she couldn’t be out in the mission field ministering to those little girls in India, but because of her writing, she was able to reach a whole new audience of people. 

I couldn’t help but smile as the radio announcer finished the segment with this quote: “No trial, no trouble, no death, no heartbreak, no unexpected circumstance or situation can keep God’s will from being fulfilled.” Amy Carmichael is living proof of that statement, and she is a beautiful picture of what it looks like to follow the Lord’s lead, even when He leads you down a path you never saw yourself taking.

If you’re struggling to understand why God has you in a certain situation or circumstance right now, my hope is that you will follow Amy’s example. Trust that no setback or unexpected season you face can keep God’s will for you from being fulfilled. And wait expectantly to see all that He has in store for you.