The 101 Things that Might Happen

I'm a list person. If I don't write it down, I'll forget. I'll buy tofu, instead of eggs. (Ok. So it's not that bad.) But I'll forget the toilet paper, the Italian seasoning, or more fish food for Bubba. I'll curl up and read instead of starting the laundry. I'll forget to send my patient his glasses receipt, or I've even forgotten to clock out. (It wasn't on a list).

Then, there are the lists I don't write down. Lists I don't seem to so easily forget.

The hypothetical.

The not-yet's.

The what-if's.

We tend to envision the future in terms of a nightmare, imagining the worst and seeing ourselves as utterly incapable of meeting it. We enumerate the things that might happen, the helplessness of our little lives, and the what-in-the-world-would-we-do-if scenarios.

C. S. Lewis once wrote, "One is given the strength to bear what happens, but not the 101 things that might happen."

Recently, some friends showed me a timeline of history they had purchased. They rolled it out in their living room to its full extent, still having to fold over the end. 

The timeline showed the history, not only of Israel, but the nations that existed during the time of Israel. It showed who the world powers were during the time of Abraham. What was happening in China when Christ died on the cross. It was fascinating.

One verse continued to cross my mind as we poured over this timeline. "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. . .even from everlasting to everlasting You are God" (Psalm 90:1,2).

The future and the right-now are inseparable to God. He sees the end from the beginning. He dwells in the entire timeline at once. He knows the 101 things that might happen.

He also knows the 101 things that will.

No matter what, His grace will be enough for the not-yet's and the what-if's.

His grace will be there "in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

He will be enough for today's lists.

And tomorrow's.

"And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash