Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:6-9

It had not been a good week. First, Allison didn't get the part she wanted in a skit her class was going to perform. Then she hurt her arm in gym class. To top it off, she discovered that a stain on her favorite shirt hadn't washed out. "Everything's going wrong," Allison told her mother in tears.

Mom had just returned from shopping and had placed a big rectangular package, wrapped in paper, on the table. "I'm sorry, honey," she said, giving Allison a hug. "Sometimes it seems like everything goes wrong all at once, doesn't it? But don't forget that Jesus still loves you and is with you. Remember those verses we read about trusting God to work things out for our best?"

Allison sighed. "I don't see how having those things happen can do any good at all, let alone be for my best!"

Mom took a pair of scissors and began to cut a small hole in the paper covering the package. "What are you doing?" asked Allison. "What's in the package?"

"I bought a picture to hang in the living room." Mom held the package up for Allison to see. "What do you think?"

"Unwrap it so I can see it," said Allison.

"Look through the hole in the wrapping," said Mom.

Allison frowned, but she squinted and tried to look through the hole. "This little hole is way too small. I can't see enough of the picture to tell what it looks like!"

"You're right," Mom said. "But what I really want you to see is that life is like this picture."

"Really?" asked Allison in surprise. "How?"

"We can only see a small part of our lives. We see what's happening now, but not how it fits into God's overall plan. It's like we're looking at it through a small hole. But God can see the whole picture. He knows exactly what we need to experience to shape our lives into the big, beautiful picture of what He has planned. We just have to trust Him, looking forward to the day when Jesus comes again and the whole picture will be unveiled." Mom smiled at Allison. "Now go ahead and unwrap this picture. I think you'll agree that it really is beautiful."

–Richard S. Maffeo