You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. (Psalm 18:28 NIV)

Yes, He can illuminate my darkness, bring light to my understanding, and guide my path when I otherwise cannot see.  Truly, He can turn my darkness into light.

He can also turn – 
… my mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11) 
…my weakness into His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9)
…my sorrow into comfort for others (2 Corinthians 1:4)
…ashes into beauty and despair into praise (Isaiah 61:3)
..what was meant for evil into part of His grand design (Genesis 50:20)

He is in the business of turning things around!

As my daughter carried the platter with my son’s birthday cake on it, half of the cake slid straight off the platter and landed upside down, onto the floor!  Without hesitation, she said, “That’s ok!  I can turn it into cake pops!”  And sure enough, that’s what she did!  Within minutes, the remaining half of the cake had been reshaped, reformed, and repurposed – into beautiful and delicious cake pops.  Furthermore, it gave my son a chance to tell us that the cake which had partially fallen really wasn’t the cake he had hoped for!  We were able to buy the one he had preferred all along!  Looking at the cake pops that night, alongside his preferred cake, all that could come to mind was Romans 8:28.  I marveled at how the Lord can take and turn my mistakes and missteps, as well as life’s let-downs, and repurpose them into part of His plan.  

And when I can’t see it?  When in His sovereignty, wisdom, and love, He either chooses not to turn “it” around or I am unable to see how it is being turned around?  He turns me around.  

Yes, as we seek Him through prayer and the Word of God, He turns us around! 

It may require a “learning,” as it did with Paul when he stated, “…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13).  

Contentment has been called “the learned virtue.”  May the cry of our heart be (when our heart longs to cry) that we would learn any virtue we need to learn, as we allow Him to turn us around!

As we consider His ability to turn situations – or our very selves – around, whichever is most pleasing to Him and most useful for His purposes, may we also consider that we can turn some things around, with His help. 

With His help, I can turn – 
…my worries into prayer
…my grumbling into gratitude
…my self-centeredness into others-centeredness
…my grudges into forgiveness
…my doubt into trust

However the turning may occur, may our hearts proclaim, along with the psalmist’s, “The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes!”