“The Lord has been treating us just fine.”
Guest Article Written by David Woolard
Lately, this has been my answer to the question of how it’s been going with me, or with Nancy, or with both of us. We have indeed been through a bit of a rough time recently, but we’ve suffered far less than many other folks we know and love. Moreover, the Lord’s people, our church family, as well as our circle of family and good friends have been watching over us, praying for us, even feeding us from time to time. Logistically, relationally, and in every other area of life, “The Lord has been and is treating us just fine.”
I love the understated yet powerful nature of this response. It’s a way of “giving thanks always for all things.” It’s a solid way to give glory to God without sounding clichéd, or perfunctory, or even perhaps, overly sentimental.
The apostle Paul once directed his readers to do “all things without grumbling and complaining, in order that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ...” (Philippians 2:14-15). He didn’t call for the big rah-rah, or for a flamboyant and sometimes forced “Praise God, thank you Jesus!” Instead he called for the understated, for a quiet repudiation of complaining and grumbling, for a simple though unspoken acknowledgement that “Ah, even in the midst of this or that moment of adversity, the Lord is treating me just fine.” Such a routinely offered response to our inevitable experiences with suffering will ultimately cause us to “shine as lights in the world.”
To be sure, there are and will be times which call for nothing less than glorious praise and effusive expressions of gratitude. But at the same time, the need will also remain for more prosaic or down-to-earth, genuinely heartfelt and devotionally sturdy acknowledgements of the Lord’s gracious and providential watchcare over us.
So. You ask me, “How’s it going?” My preferred reply will most likely be something like, “As for me and my house, the Lord has been treating us. . .!”