Where The Last Domino Falls
“28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 ESV
As a child, I used to love seeing the occasional domino toppling show on tv where designers are given a specific theme and tasked with constructing intricate structures out of the dominoes. They stand each domino up in a sequence known as a domino run, toppling the first domino creating a chain reaction or a domino effect, in which each domino topples the next until the last domino falls. Some structures are simple, while others are incredibly complex and unpredictable, consisting of sudden elevation changes and sharp turns.
What has always fascinated me about these domino wonderlands, apart from the spectacle of building something only to knock it down, which I admit appeals greatly to my seven-year-old inner self, is that as each domino falls, the mystery of the structure is revealed. It is only after the last domino falls that we truly get a glimpse of its beauty.
Our lives can often feel like a domino run. Days are strung together, one toppling into the next to form weeks, months, and years, meandering back and forth from one circumstance to the next. The momentum catapults us to emotional heights, only later to send us tumbling through troublesome valleys. We are left to wonder, is there a purpose behind the design of our lives? Where are our tumbling dominoes taking us? And where will our last domino fall?
“R.H.” is a friend and colleague who oversees our operations at work. After our Christmas break, I sat with RH in his office as he shared the events that marked his holiday season. A few days before Christmas, R.H,, whose household consists of his wife, daughter, a son who had returned from college for the holidays, along with his mother and mother-in-law, was informed that the owner of the house they had been leasing for the past few years, had unexpectedly passed away. The house, now under the management of a leasing company, was to be vacated within a week or so. As you would imagine, this left R.H. and his family scrambling to gather their belongings and find a new place to live. Making matters worse, Atlanta was experiencing record-low temperatures dipping into the single digits due to an arctic blast. The bitter cold was wreaking havoc across the city, bursting pipes and flooding local businesses and homes.
On Christmas eve, as R.H. and his family were attending to their personal challenge, he was called to his professional duty. The pipes had burst, flooding large portions of our building. Some would say that the dominoes in R.H.’s life were quickly toppling toward both a personal and professional valley, and in a way, they were. RH could have attributed his circumstances to a random ill-fated spin of Fortuna’s wheel. However, a man of quiet faith, known for his calm and cool demeanor, especially under pressure, R.H. saw the events differently. He looked beyond the uncertainty of his current circumstance, and despite not knowing where the next domino would fall, he understood that there was a divine purpose behind the design.
After a fast and furious search, R.H. and his family found a new home in a neighborhood not too far from where they had been living. As it turns out, the owners were missionaries who had been called overseas and were desperately looking for tenants. It seems the tumbling dominoes in R.H.’s circumstance were an answered prayer, falling right on their doorstep, allowing them to fulfill their calling to serve the Lord.
As we reflect on R.H.’s story, I am reminded of God’s providence over our lives and all creation. He is the master architect who skillfully and thoughtfully places each tumbling domino according to His perfect design for our lives. Though at times we may not understand or see where the next domino is taking us, as Christians, we can rest assured of one thing, the last domino will always fall at the foot of the cross.
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Prayer
Lord, thank you for being the great architect of our lives. At times, we find it hard to see past our current circumstances, good or bad; please help us to trust in the perfection of your plan for our lives and have confidence that one day we will look back and marvel at the beauty of your design according to your will.
Amen,
Yours in Christ,
Brad
