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here and now

Sometimes I look around and wonder, "What in the world am I doing here? Surely this isn't the right place for me."

Am I the only one?
Didn't think so (although I'll admit that sometimes the thought that I am the only one who feels that way creeps into my mind and starts a pity party).

I stare at physics problems or I look at the big city we've found ourselves in or think about how we've been married for 9 years now and have 2 kids and still haven't gotten a place that's ours and I think maybe we've gotten a bit lost somehow.

But then, God uses half of one verse tucked in the middle of Paul's speech to a bunch of Greek philosophers 2 thousand years ago to tell me this: 
 
"...and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." (Acts 17:26b)

This "God who made the world and everything in it" (vs. 24) cares enough about each one of us to have hand-picked this exact moment and this exact place for us. Not only did He create every man on earth, He determined exactly when and where each one should live--nothing was left to chance.

How amazing is it that?

So, just like Esther was crowned queen by King Xerxes so that she could be in place to save the Jews in their hour of need (you can read her story in her book here), when you get overwhelmed by where you find yourself, remind yourself that God put you here, now, "for such a time as this". (Esther 4:14b)

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Thoughts? I would love to hear them!
~Mandy

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