Quote:

“Gnag bends things for breaking, and the Maker makes a flourish! Evil digs a pit, and the Maker makes a well! That is his way.” ― Andrew Peterson, The Monster in the Hollows

Context:

Life never goes the way you expect it to go.

It’s constantly changing, in good and bad ways.

Nia Wingfeather, from The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson, lives that out everyday with her three kids and father. 

The Queen of Anniera had to flee her country to keep her children safe, leaving her dead mother and husband behind. 

After she went into hiding, she had to be sure her children weren’t found by Gnag the Nameless–the villain in this story. Once they were discovered years later, Nia, her father, her brother-in-law, the three kids, and a dear friend, Oskar, fled their small town to go back to Nia’s hometown–towards safety. 

That wasn’t part of their plan. 

Nia just wanted to settle down in the small town, where her kids could be safe, away from the danger of Gnag finding them. 

The Maker had different plans, of course, showing that He is in full control–and Nia knew that. 

She taught her children that. 

No matter what happened, she relied on the Maker, knowing that He would take care of her children when they disappeared. Knowing that He would provide for them. Knowing that He would keep them safe–and He did.

Through all the trials Nia and her family went through, they stayed close to the Maker, praying to Him when life was hard, but also in a good season.

And however hard Gnag tried to break their family apart, he couldn’t. The Maker would always bring them back together. 

God does the same in our life today.

Maybe you haven’t had a life changing experience that made you question your relationship with God, I haven’t, but maybe you have.

Maybe your life, like Nia’s, has been a struggle, but remember, God is in full control. 

He fills the pit that Satan has made with God’s living water. 

It might not feel like it, but He sees all, and is in control through all of it. 

You can be at your lowest of lows moment, but God is ready to comfort you. 

He’s ready to protect you, like the Maker did with Nia and her family.

Of course, Nia didn’t know the Maker’s plan, just like we don’t know God’s plan. That’s just the way He likes to work, and there’s nothing we can change about it.

We will never know what tomorrow will bring, just like Nia didn’t think the day of her leaving the small town with her family would come so soon. 

There is nothing we can do to make our own plans, and make sure they happen. They’re constantly changing, in big and little ways, but they still change what happed that day, week, and year. 

All in all, God is in total control over your life, no matter what you plan to do. He is constantly changing the times and seasons, and we have to trust Him in the hard times.

"He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." - Daniel 2:21
 

Written by: Hannah Grace