by Sherri Stevens

Have you ever felt like you weren't measuring up? I know I have. Some days can seem like an absolute dumpster fire! When we think of a person who is a guiding light to others, we typically think of a positive role model who inspires others to elevate their greatness. But a guiding light isn't always someone's shining example that leads someone into a greater light. What can seem like a dumpster fire in our life, God can use as a guiding light to deliver someone else from their peril. 

THE STORY OF THE NORWEGIAN FISHERMAN‍

A Norwegian fisherman and his two sons were out on their daily fishing run. By mid-afternoon, a sharp brisk wind was whipping salty spray into the faces of the rugged man and his teenage boys. As the wind increased, the waves grew into gray-blue giants. The little boat pitched back and forth as the three rowed desperately to get back to shore. The storm was so fierce that it washed out the lighthouse's light on the shore leaving the fishermen dependent upon dark groping guesswork.

Meanwhile, a fire broke out in their rustic cottage where the man's wife and boy's mother awaited them. Unable to put the fire out, the woman watched as the flames destroyed their home and all their earthly possessions.

When the father and sons finally made it safely back to shore, she waited to deliver the tragic news to them. Yet even as she told her husband the terrible news of how the fire had destroyed their home and possessions, he seemed strangely unmoved by the loss. It was as though he had never heard the news.

"Didn't you hear me Karl?" she asked. "Our house is gone."

"Yes, I heard you," he said. "But a few hours ago, we were lost at sea, fighting fierce wind and high waves. Our only guide to the shoreline was the lighthouse on the cliff, and then it went out. I was certain we would die. Then, I noticed a dim yellow glow in the distance. We turned our boat and rowed toward the light. It grew brighter and brighter, and we followed it safely to the shore." "You see, Ingrid," he said, "That little yellow glow was the first sight of our house on fire. At the peak of the blaze, we could see the shoreline as bright as day. The same fire that destroyed our house created a light that saved our lives."‍

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD

We are often too quick to judge things, especially ourselves and our mistakes. But God's miraculous grace has a way of working even our mistakes into a masterful mosaic, orchestrating outcomes that we never could have imagined.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. The phrase “work together” is from the Greek word sunergeo, from which we get the English words synergy and synergism. Synergy is the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

The verb used in this phrase is an active voice, present tense form, which indicates that God's activity is ongoing. The compound elements of the verb suggest an intricate plan whose components harmoniously operate toward a grand conclusion. We can be encouraged that God is providentially active on behalf of those who love Him to synergize our pain, disappointment, and loss to bring forth something good!

Disappointment + pain + God = good

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