“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
Not far from Toulouse, France, is Carcassonne, the largest walled city in Europe. From a nearby hill, the many colorful towers of this medieval town glistened in the bright sunlight. As I gazed upon Carcassonne from afar, visions of fairy tales and princesses danced in my head. I couldn’t wait to explore it.
As I passed under the rounded arch that serves as the entrance, I noticed a massive stone statue of a woman, one called Lady Carcas. Learning more about Carcassonne’s history, I came to understand the importance of this woman and her stone likeness near the entrance.
Carcassonne was built around 100 BC by the Romans on a hilltop site thought to have been inhabited as far back as 3500 BC. The town has changed hands many times over the centuries and has also played a prominent role in history, particularly during the Crusades. In the 8th century, during a multi-year attack on the town by their enemies, King Ballak of the Saracens died, leaving his wife, Lady Carcas, in charge. She devised a plan to end the siege that seemed counter-intuitive. Even though the people were starving as they were trapped within the city’s walls, Lady Carcas continued to feed her piglet. When the pig was fat enough, she threw him over the wall. Their enemies thought if the people could afford to waste a fat pig, then it would take too long to starve them out. The enemies gave up and left. Lady Carcas’ daring plan saved the town. Bells rang in celebration and the town was named Carcassone after her (“sonne” in French means “ringing [the bells]”).
While Lady Carcas’ unusual but clever plan saved her people that day, I’m sure there must have been many townsfolk who didn’t understand why she was wasting good grain to fatten her pig. Not until the siege was over did they understand.
How often are we like those townspeople? Isaiah 55:8-9 says that God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. How often do we look at circumstances and wonder what God is up to? When unexpected events happen, our natural reaction may be to cry out and ask why. Do we trust the One who ultimately is in control?
I find it difficult to stop in the middle of my crisis, regardless of how great or small it is, and ask God what He is trying to teach me in the moment through the trying circumstances. It is hard to accept in faith God’s infinite ways when they don’t make sense to my finite brain. But when I look back on previous situations, I realize that God does indeed work all things for good, for my good. The more I can be curious about the “why’s”, knowing God is in control, the more I can trust Him in the moment.
Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense in the here and now. Only in hindsight can we look back and realize the wisdom in God’s ways. CS Lewis, in The Problem of Pain wrote, “God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.” May we be curious as to God’s ways in our lives and may we be teachable to learn through our experiences in the moment as well as in hindsight, trusting that He is ultimately in control.
Heavenly Father, Your ways are not my ways. Yet I know that You are ultimately in control and have my ultimate good in mind. May I trust You more and learn through life’s difficulties. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photographs copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Carcassonne, France.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
The view of Carcassone from afar:
Not far from Toulouse, France, is Carcassonne, the largest walled city in Europe. From a nearby hill, the many colorful towers of this medieval town glistened in the bright sunlight. As I gazed upon Carcassonne from afar, visions of fairy tales and princesses danced in my head. I couldn’t wait to explore it.
As I passed under the rounded arch that serves as the entrance, I noticed a massive stone statue of a woman, one called Lady Carcas. Learning more about Carcassonne’s history, I came to understand the importance of this woman and her stone likeness near the entrance.
Carcassonne was built around 100 BC by the Romans on a hilltop site thought to have been inhabited as far back as 3500 BC. The town has changed hands many times over the centuries and has also played a prominent role in history, particularly during the Crusades. In the 8th century, during a multi-year attack on the town by their enemies, King Ballak of the Saracens died, leaving his wife, Lady Carcas, in charge. She devised a plan to end the siege that seemed counter-intuitive. Even though the people were starving as they were trapped within the city’s walls, Lady Carcas continued to feed her piglet. When the pig was fat enough, she threw him over the wall. Their enemies thought if the people could afford to waste a fat pig, then it would take too long to starve them out. The enemies gave up and left. Lady Carcas’ daring plan saved the town. Bells rang in celebration and the town was named Carcassone after her (“sonne” in French means “ringing [the bells]”).
While Lady Carcas’ unusual but clever plan saved her people that day, I’m sure there must have been many townsfolk who didn’t understand why she was wasting good grain to fatten her pig. Not until the siege was over did they understand.
How often are we like those townspeople? Isaiah 55:8-9 says that God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. How often do we look at circumstances and wonder what God is up to? When unexpected events happen, our natural reaction may be to cry out and ask why. Do we trust the One who ultimately is in control?
I find it difficult to stop in the middle of my crisis, regardless of how great or small it is, and ask God what He is trying to teach me in the moment through the trying circumstances. It is hard to accept in faith God’s infinite ways when they don’t make sense to my finite brain. But when I look back on previous situations, I realize that God does indeed work all things for good, for my good. The more I can be curious about the “why’s”, knowing God is in control, the more I can trust Him in the moment.
Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense in the here and now. Only in hindsight can we look back and realize the wisdom in God’s ways. CS Lewis, in The Problem of Pain wrote, “God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.” May we be curious as to God’s ways in our lives and may we be teachable to learn through our experiences in the moment as well as in hindsight, trusting that He is ultimately in control.
Heavenly Father, Your ways are not my ways. Yet I know that You are ultimately in control and have my ultimate good in mind. May I trust You more and learn through life’s difficulties. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photographs copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Carcassonne, France.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
The view of Carcassone from afar:
RSS Feed