When God Has a Better Idea Paul first came to Philippi only after the Spirit prevented him from moving in two other directions. In Acts 16 we read that Paul and Silas were on their second missionary journey after stunning success all over Asia. They had reached the middle of what we now call Turkey and wanted to go north. So they kept going west until they came to the little port of Troas on the Aegean Sea where they waited to see what they should do. So, they set out across the Sea the next day, and with this turn of events the history of the whole continent of Europe was forever changed.
Life is strange and the door of history swings on small hinges.
The conversion of Europe came out of frustration and disappointment. I imagine we could all tell of similar stories of how God brought something good out of the frustration of our own plans. Last week we broke ground for our new Community Center and related facilities. The dramatic design of our new facility was born out of frustration and disappointment when two years ago the City of Bellevue rejected our design plans. Many of you heard us grump about this at that time.