Understand.

A Life Lesson by Gene Kissinger

Redeeming The Time Brothers (RTTBROS)

Understand

A woman was at the airport taking a trip to see her family in another state.  She was seated next to a man at the boarding gate, there was a bag of keebler cookies in between her and the man. She reached into the bag and took a cookie to munch on while she waited for her flight to begin boarding. To her shock the man also took a cookie out of the bag she looked harshly at him but said nothing. He was not deterred he matched her cookie for cookie with each one she took he also took one and ate it. No words were spoken but the silence was deafening. The stranger even had the audacity to reach in and take the last cookie and hand it to her. She snatched it out if his hand and gobbled it down while staring daggers at him. Her flight finally came and she gladly boarded her plane, leaving behind the rude cookie thief. She sighed out loud as she sat down and stowed her canvas cary on bag under the seat and out of the bag fell her bag of keebler cookies. She was horrified when she realised she had totally misunderstood the situation. She was the cookie thief who had been stealing HIS COOKIES. He had even given her HIS LAST COOKIE.

God has been working with me on this thought "Understand that you don't understand" this applies in several areas.

*Grief and loss.

"I understand". you have heard it said By a well meaning friend or family member  when you went through a serious loss and often you thought "No, you can't understand".
I am trying to steer clear of telling people "I understand" because they are probably right I may not understand. Each loss and dilemma has its own unique trauma. So better to say " I am here for you." Or "Do you want to talk about it" and just listen and be there for them. This is the ministry of presence.  I like to offer to pray for them and take the situation to a God who completely understands. 

*God's working with mankind in general and me in particular.

Sometimes I find myself going trough a trial or trauma and I find myself confused at what God is up to. Or a friend will be going through a hard time and they want to know, "WHY". God has been teaching me my three pound brain will never comprehend what an infinite God has been planning since the foundation of the World. He doesn't have to explain himself to me or anyone else and we wouldn't understand even if He did explain.  In this we are enjoined to Trust him.
I like how the hymn writer put it.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sov’reign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

William Cowper 1774

So when confronted with The grief of a friend or a sovereign God its time to "understand that you don't understand"
and that is just as it should be.