Funny Thing about Providence

Providence. Old puritanical people used that word. I never liked to think of God and the way he takes care of me as Providence. Just sounded dusty to me. But these days I am becoming more comfortable with it, as with many things ancient and anchored. Its easy to think God exists for me, bending to my every whim. Yet I am not happy with that little god, that good luck charm. I want a God who is big, unpredictable, and can only be followed because it is ridiculous to think I'm going to drag him along like a dog on a leash. Give me a big God. Give me YHVH, I AM, the God of the burning bush. Give me the God who parts the Red Sea, is a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, who provides heaven-bread every day and lets the extra rot. Give me the God of providence, not the god of my pleasure and comfort. 

Yet as I pray that, I know what it implies. I know I have to be ready to live with that Providence when he zigs and I thought he'd zag. That happened yesterday. This house situation has been enigmatic to say the least... and then we found the house. They were building it for us, in 29601, with one more room than we expected, at a great price. Deal on. Then the email about the builders' alteration of the deal. Sadly, deal off. And here we are again... without a house, trusting God, yet not sure where he is leading us -- only following the cloud today and eating the manna provided for this 24 hours. Funny thing about Providence. In love and mercy, he provides. That's it. He's unpredictable, inescapable, untamable, unchangeable and -- all the while -- unyieldingly faithful to provide. So here we go again, trusting that though we don't know where we are heading or exactly how we will get there, we know our Guide, Providence, the God of the Bible is trustworthy and knows the way.