Yes, that’s what my 4-year-old son said during our dinner prayer the other night. He has heard me pray, “Thanks for all you have provided for us.” In his own way of praying he coined a phrase: “survive-ed” for us.

I got to thinking about that because it struck me. God has helped us to survive among things we didn’t quite think we would. And he’s provided for us in ways we never thought he could, but we are oh so glad he did.

So I like Will’s thinking that God has survive-ed us with much.

It’s tough to see it sometimes. We crane our necks to see how far ahead we can see concerning God’s provisions. Even the word “crane” means to stretch one’s neck toward something for a better view. We do that. We want to see how God is going to provide. And sometimes it just feels like surviving. As Will said, you’ve “survive-ed” us.

Thank goodness for the way I see God doing this in my life. Have you reached a point even lately where you feel like you’re in survival mode rather than seeing God in His provision mode?

Recently I knew I needed something from God. It was over a wound I wanted to cover up. I ran into this person and even though I thought it could be really awkward, I not only survived it but later saw how God provided it.

It was as if he was saying, You know that thing that bothers you? I’m going to lead you right to that person who has left a wound in your heart. And I’m going to provide a really good conversation for you. And a bridge rather than a hole in your heart. And he did just that. I saw that not only did God provide but he made it better than I could have thought possible.

I think that’s how God works best in our lives. We have maybe no expectations and it doesn’t take much for him to exceed them. Or we need him to come through in a big way and we replay the scenes in our head and go, Wow, that was, like, um, way better than I ever imagined. Yep, yippee, yes!

I like to think that Will is onto something. God not only provides for us but he survives us. He survives our rants, our defensiveness, our dashed hopes. And he exchanges it with his provisions.

Where do you feel like you need to trust God with his “survived-ed” with you?