In all things God works for
the good of those who love him.
—Romans 8:28
God’s providence is a mysterious mixture of pleasure and pain.
“The Lord appointed” is a recurring phrase in the book of Jonah. God appointed a great fish, a protecting plant, a destructive worm, and a scorching wind (Jonah 1:17, 4:6,7,8). It took bouts of painful providence to get Jonah’s attention.
Vision loss in my right eye was unwelcome—but was it providential? Yes, I think so, for it reminded me of how good God had been to give me clear vision for decades.
Be grateful for the occasional loss of electricity if it turns your attention to gratitude for the taken-for-granted blessings of almost uninterrupted lights, hot water, air conditioning, microwave . . .
You take it from there. Both pleasant “plants” and worrisome “worms” are part of God’s providential care.
It doesn’t have to be pleasant to be providential.