Sometimes I want to write something, but a subject eludes me, deep or shallow.

I could talk about the weather, I suppose, but that’s boring. After all, weather happens everywhere.

My favorite foods, perhaps? How about why I love paper and pens? Will that keep your head from plopping on your desk in sheer boredom?

Yesterday I found a desk calendar a friend gave me for Christmas a few years ago. It’s called "365 Meditations for the Satisfied Soul." 

It’s now sitting prominently on my desk. Today’s meditation says, "Often we don’t feel Satan has been crushed under our feet. Where is the power of God? we may wonder. Why hasn’t He finished off Satan in our lives? So we’re tempted to become a little less faithful. After all, we ask ourselves, does it really matter anyway? Satan, who would like to see us become less than faithful, has already impacted our lives. But it doesn’t have to be that way."

With all the dour news of our economy, people killing people, and world politics, it’s easy to lose hope in the future. It’s as though God has released his hold on the world and said, "Here you go, Satan, it’s all yours."

I’ve even gazed at my son and wondered, "What kind of world have I brought you into? Do you have a bright future ahead of you, or have I done you more harm than good by giving you life?" Even as I think it, I know it’s not true. For one, I didn’t give my son life; my husband and I merely listened to God’s voice and allowed for the possibility.

Everyone of us will face insurmountable challenges. Few of us say at the end, "I should never have lived."

Some would say that because my parents were poor when they had me and my sister, we should have never been born. We would be too disadvantaged to live a joyful and prosperous life. If my parents decided not to give me a chance at living, I would have never known their love. I would have never seen a sunset, breathed in crisp mountain air, or held a hummingbird in the palm of my hand. I never would have fallen in love with and married my husband, or experienced the joy of motherhood.

Most importantly, I never would have known God and the immeasurable love he showers upon me each and every day — often through my child.

The same goes for my son. God has a purpose for him that only he can accomplish, so I shouldn’t question the rightness of his existence any more than I question my own.

One of my favorite books in the Bible is Ecclesiastes. Chapter 7 verses 11-14 seem particularly applicable to this discussion:

"Wisdom is even better when you have money.
      Both are a benefit as you go through life.
Wisdom and money can get you almost anything,
      but only wisdom can save your life.

Accept the way God does things,
      for who can straighten what he has made crooked?
Enjoy prosperity while you can,
      but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
      Remember that nothing is certain in this life."

And yet, God promised in Jeremiah 29:11-13,

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." 

The future is not mine to control. Satan may wield power in this world, but it’s only because God allows it. Though life may be difficult with no easy solutions, I must always remember God wins in the end. He never forgets us to fend for ourselves.

Hmm. Looks like I found a subject after all.