Are we dead yet?

Sometimes it's so hard to see through what God is doing. It feels like most people I know are going through such change in their lives. I don't think that's what Obama supporters meant by "Change", but at least I know in my heart God will take care of us. Some of the the things that have brought me comfort are some amazing words from the bible. I am studying John and we were reading about Lazarus. I guess I never paid attention to how long Lazarus was dead, before Jesus came back to raise him up from the grave. 4 DAYS! I though to myself, Mary and Martha must have thought that since Jesus hadn't come when they ask him, that Jesus' answer to their plea for the life of their brother, that his death was the answer. And yet, after he had died, they prepared his body for the grave and then put him in a tomb, had a group of mourners for days, and THEN JESUS CAME and RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD. For me this has been pivotal in living in faith lately. Although our request seem to lay dead and all our plans and jobs and life seem quite literally dead, they are only dead to us. Death has no hold over Christ. Not death of the body nor of what we hold dear. He may take His time to answer, but we will get an answer and whether it is a resurrection of what we thought we lost or a direct change in our plans, He hasn't forgotten or just decided to walk away to do other things. He has a plan that holds greater blessing than we could imagine. I look back on my life and see each "death" of my plans and hopes becoming resurrected or redirected, both for my ultimate blessing and His glory. How hard it is to let go of my wishes and not stand in the way of His glory. I think I try blocking all the paths I'm so afraid of and miss each message He wants me to learn. He is ever faithful and has never wavered in that for me or Martha and Mary in their time of great need and grief. He wept when he saw their mourning for the loss of Lazarus and He was troubled when he saw their grief. I know that He weeps alongside me and understands my pain, even when He has the plan prepared for me. Just the knowledge that Jesus grieves with me in my sadness because He loves me that much makes me grateful for all things. Of course this post is weeks past the initial shock and disappointment and anger ect ect... But I know that He knew that and that's why he left Lazarus dead for 4 days. I'm sounding presumptuous, but I believe that He foreknew me that well...