Sunday Message- Being thankful (and careful what you ask for)

So Wednesday comes, and my daily devotional from David Jeremiah starts with this:

Jos 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." 

And I foolishly said, "Lord, I love these encouragements- but they also worry me, because I know something's coming.'

The Lord listens.  What happened next proved it.

Two days later, Laurie was to have her surgery.  That night, going to leave work, the car would not go into gear.  The module that makes it so you can't put the car into gear without stepping on the brake was broken- again.  Got it towed to our service people and dropped off home, and we began to moan about how Satan really knows when to attack.  But as I went to that place from which Jesus seems to speak to me the best- the shower- He reminded me of a chunk of Psalm 107 that I knew well and had used before:

Psa 107:26  They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; 

Psa 107:27  they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. 

Psa 107:28  Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 

Psa 107:29  He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 

Psa 107:30  Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 

Psa 107:31  Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

And I remembered the progression this passage taught me before:

1- The storm comes, but He's in control of it.

2- We cry out for help...

3- He stills the storm  (brings calm in it)...

4- We are glad (and THANKFUL)

5- And AFTER we are thankful, He 'brought them to their desired haven'.

And I knew it meant we had ignored being thankful for all the prayer warriors who were standing by us, the hospital support people guiding us up to the day,  the people at the ER who made a dead-on diagnosis at the beginning, the people at our jobs who were supporting us, the guys who were going to fix the car, the tow driver (who did an amazing job in a tight spot on just his EIGHTH day on the job), and so many others.  And we took care of that forgetfulness.  The car was fixed the next day, the surgery has gone well, Laurie is home and resting.  The morning after the car broke down, though, we were listing to Dr Jeremiah's lesson.  He said, 

"God allows the disruption in your life because he has something to tell you you won't listen to ANY OTHER WAY."

And that was true.  We were so wrapped in the nerves about the surgery, we hadn't been nearly thankful enough.  And being me, I said, "I don't suppose you could have said this a little sooner?"

And Jesus replied, "But I thought you didn't want the early warning?"