up to 6's and 7's

denise used a cliche' when she was talking to us - you know i love cliche's! "at sixes and sevens...in disarray or confusion. the term comes from a game of dice in which throwing a six or seven has special significance." she quoted steven brown (also an RTS professor) who said everything that happens to a non-christian is going to happen to a christian so that the world can watch us!!

why?  because when we are at (or up to) sixes and sevens, others will be watching. "we are a visual aid for others to see a God who's really there, who's busy making a great name for Himself." then, she quoted psalm 67  **that He will be gracious to us and cause His face to shine upon us when we're at 6's and 7's and **that He will make His salvation known among all the nations.

when my children were little i somehow decided in my fantasy world that because my husband and i were believers (and did not come from believing families), and because we were praying for them, this would put a hedge of protection around them and my children (and therefore me to an extent) would be exempt from a certain amount of suffering. that has not been the case (to my limited, human way of thinking, tho i heard a speaker say years back: we have no idea how much He has protected us from by His grace and mercy). 

what she said truly ministered to me. i cannot see what others have seen in watching us go through the particular difficulties. but when she said it, i knew it to be true and i will trust the Lord that He knows and denise knows and steven brown knows and other believers know and His Word knows even tho i can't see it.