Understanding the Lord's Timing

I've been going through a bit of a weird phase.  Last month two of my guy friends (not close, mind you, but still friends) died unexpectedly.  Both were young, righteous, had so much to live for.  I know I should feel happy for them, particularly Eric who had been struggling with Cerebral Palsy.  I'm sure they're having a party with baseball, sunshine, music, and ice cream on the other side of the veil... but still, thinking about their abrupt deaths makes me feel vulnerable and old.  I have so much I want to do in my life and the idea that it could end just like that...  Steve would probably pat me on the shoulder, laugh at me in a goodhearted way, and then tell me I should watch this funny youtube video.



Well, I recently had a mini "A HA" moment.  I was reading about Adam and Eve and got caught up thinking in the whole scenario where Satan persuades Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.  Satan is all "There is no other way" and Eve sees that she has to break God's first commandment in order to complete the second one.  Or was that true?  Eve's big sin, though unintentionally done and with good motives, was brought about because she failed to trust that God had things under control, failed to trust that His timetable might be different then hers, failed to involve God in her decision making process.  Fortunately for Eve, the fruit gave her the knowledge of good and evil, helped her see her error, she repented, God had a plan, Jesus atoned for us, and everyone lives happily ever after (well, except Satan).

As things have been mulling over in my brain I just have to remember that the God that created the universe, moves mountains, and walks on water has total control of the happenings in my life.  I need to trust that God has a plan, a time table, and a perfect understanding of what I need to grow and fulfill my destiny.  I need to communicate with Him in these moments when life doesn't make sense.  I need to learn from Eve's freak out moment and remember that just because the world seems contradictory, a world where good people suffer, where the young die when their lives are just beginning, that God is still there and no wrong will not be righted in the end.  If I give my life to God he will take it, shape it, and return it to me as something more precious, holy, and beautiful than what I could make of it on my own.

To end things on a lighter note, this is one of my favorite mormon ads.  I've seen it who knows how many times and I still get all teary eyed at the end.