Once upon a time, when I was about 20 years old, I went to get a haircut. However, it wasn’t just any haircut, it was a really important one. You see, I had gotten the “thumbs up” from a beautiful young woman named Hannah Presley to be her “plus one” at her cousin’s wedding, and I was stoked. I had a cheap tuxedo and I thought I was ready to go, but my date suggested that I get a haircut before the big night. So, I made an appointment with the lady who used to cut my hair and went to see her. As I sat in the chair and she told me some things about her life, it became clear that she wasn’t a Christian. When she shared something that was pretty tragic in her world, she made the statement “everything happens for a reason.” Have you heard that? Well, as a young zealot for Jesus, I wasn’t about to let that go, so I began asking her questions in an attempt to proselytize her. “Why do you think everything happens for a reason,” I asked. As she went on cutting and I continued sharing my faith, I thought we were having a pretty good discussion. She finished, I gave my parting thoughts, and then I went home and looked in the mirror. Let’s just say my hair was pretty awful. I got to the wedding and Hannah looked gorgeous, but me, well, not so much. I took the bad haircut to mean that maybe my hairdresser wasn’t as thrilled with my attempts to evangelize her as I thought she was. However, as bad as I might have looked leaving that day, her statement that everything happens for a reason stayed with me…

Friend, as cliche as it might sound, everything does happen for a reason (even bad haircuts), and because God is on your side, that reason is good. When unexpected circumstances befall you, and you are forced to come face-to-face with your own limitations, Jesus is still with you. He has already woven the tapestry of your life! The Lord has all of your days numbered, and everything that happens is part of an intricately-crafted plan that reflects the beauty and grace of the Master Artist. I encourage you to focus on His sovereign goodness when you feel overwhelmed and unable to go on, and I promise, your perspective will change!