I hate to admit that I often find myself confused or questioning God.

I remember one specific time in my life where everything seemed to be off. Relationships went south, my college classes felt overwhelming, I had a three month stint on crutches, and I ended up unable to go on a mission trip I’d committed to.

Confusion and questions were constant companions in that time, because in my thoughts this all was unnecessary. However, from that season I learned many valuable lessons and drew closer to God.

Sometimes the confusion we experience is like a huge patchwork quilt. We can only see the back of it — the tangled lines of thread — and it doesn’t look beautiful. What we can’t see is the beautiful design on the front that God sees as He puts together the fabric of our lives.

My thoughts are limited to what I have experienced and what I think is good, but God’s thoughts are so much higher. He knows what is good for me. He also knows how much I can handle. I will never see the many trials He, in His infinite knowledge, protects me from because they would be too much for me.

Today, take comfort in a God whose thoughts are higher than yours and who knows the big picture.