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by Ruth O’Neil
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
I believe everything happens for a reason. As human beings we only live for the day to day, but God sees the bigger picture of our lives. Every aspect of our life is in God’s hands. When I skipped eighth grade I had no idea it had anything to do with my mother’s death, but hindsight, being twenty-twenty, I can now see where God had been at work all along.
I was thrilled to skip from seventh to ninth grade. It was then I met my future husband. We dated for a while and on my sixteenth birthday he gave me a ring. Most parents would put up a fuss about that, but not mine. I was mature and sensible at age sixteen. Our mindset was just because we were engaged didn’t mean we were getting married the following week.
Over the next few years we made plans for our future. We wanted several children, but only after we had been married for a while and had some time alone together. However, three weeks after our wedding, I found myself sicker than I had ever been in my entire life. I was pregnant. This wasn’t in my plans. We were still in the honeymoon stage of our marriage! I can’t say I was excited when I realized the cause of my illness. But God was at work.
Our daughter was born three weeks early with no complications whatsoever. My parents enjoyed our baby whenever they had an opportunity to see her. We lived in different states so it was a little difficult sometimes.
Then, when my daughter was nine months old my mother discovered she had breast cancer. As she grew sicker, our church bought me an airline ticket that allowed me to fly home to see my mother. My daughter was thirteen months old at that time and although my mom couldn’t really hold her much, she watched every movement my daughter made.
Before our visit, my daughter wasn’t really walking much. It wasn’t that she couldn’t it was more like she wouldn’t. At that point I didn’t know even that little thing was in God’s perfect timing. While we were visiting Grandma, my daughter really began taking her first steps. At first I thought it was because there was a whole new world to explore at Grandma’s house, but three weeks later, my mom passed away. God had blessed my mom by allowing her to see her first grandchild taking her first steps.
If I had not skipped a grade, I would have graduated a year later, gone to college a year later, got married a year later, and my daughter would have been born a year later. It would have been a year too late for my mother. I know now that God wanted my mom to have the blessing of seeing her first grandchild taking her first steps.
Next time you are struggling with the why of a circumstance in your life, know that God is at work in you. Sometimes we find out why things happen. Sometimes we don’t. But, one thing is for sure, God knows and it was all in His plan.
I believe everything happens for a reason!
About the Author:
Ruth O’Neil has been writing for over 20 years. She has published hundreds of articles in numerous publications. She loves to touch the emotions when she writes. “If I can make one person laugh or cry, I’ll consider myself successful.” Her first novel “Come Eat at My Table” has just come out in ebook form and can be purchased on her website. She homeschools her three children (well, one now, as two have graduated). She and her husband have been married for 20-plus years. In her spare time she enjoys quilting, crafting, and reading. You can visit her on her blog at ruths-real-life (dot)blogspot.com or her website at ruthoneil (dot)weebly.com
