who invited JOB to the snowboard trip?

Since I've been back to school, everyone's been telling me "Oh my God I heard about the crazy snowboard trip. It must've been so miserable." Actually I loved it. But for those of you who don't know, here's what happened:

1) We get to Bear Mountain, and we find that Christine forgot to bring her snowboard in the trunk.
2) Phoebe rents a snowboard but as she's walking to the lift for her first run, she has back spasms and can't board for the entire day.
3) Andrew gets a nasty voicemail from the cabin owners-- supposedly the neighbors called the police on us because we were being loud, and the city called the owners. The owners had spied on us at 2 am and counted 18 of us through the window, when the cabin is only for maximum 8-10 people (there were actually 30 of us haha). And they counted 6 cars in the driveway when the max is 3 cars. As a city ordinance, we had to cut the number to 10 and the cars to 3, or else we would be kicked out that night, no exceptions.
4) Robert has to go to the E.R. because of a severe foot infection. The doctors tell him that if he doesn't treat it quickly, he could possibly die.
5) On the last run of the day, I misfire a rail and my shins land on the corner of the metal box. Then my face lands on the ice and I have a bloody face.
6) As all the cars are packing up to go back to the cabin, Alice's snowboard is nowhere to be found. Somebody stole it and ran off without a trace. And on top of that it's her friend's snowboard that she borrowed.
7) We have to move 3 of the cars to another location for the night. Even though it's snowing, and there's icy roads, we take our chances and head out without chains on our tires. Halfway there i stop, then Billy stops behind me. But Andrew's car skids on the ice and collides with Billy's rear bumper.
8) On the way back home, almost all the cars gets back safely. Jon, driving Shening's family Suburban, is the last one. As he is about the get on the 405N (which is 5 min. from UCLA), a car crashes into the Suburban. The car had been avoiding a reckless driver, and ran into Jon. And by the way, the reckless driver zooms off.

Wow. All within a span of about 30 hours. Whenever we said it can't get any worse, it always did. Was it a lack of prayer or praise? Certainly not. This was probably the first KCM snowboard trip where we had a night of worship, devotionals, prayer, and morning QT's. A snowboard retreat haha. So was it because we did something wrong? Was it Satan attacking us? It doesn't matter. God deserves glory in every situation.

That night Billy and I were licking our wounds and whining about the woes of the trip. Why would God do this to us, it's so unfair! And that's when I remembered John 3:30--May God increase, and we decrease. We need a higher view of God. Instead of complaining and whining and blaming God, we should give praise to God for whatever the circumstance! Does God owe us a perfect trip? Are we of some worth that God is obliged to give us a smooth vacation? Not at all. God had shown us enough mercy already.

Thinking about it, things could have been much worse. We could have gotten kicked out and forced to drive home in the pitch black snowy night. Robert's toe infection could have been fatal, as the doctor had warned. I could have easily broken my nose or teeth if I landed centimeters closer to the rail. Andrew and Billy could have collided with a pedestrian or other cars. And Jon's car could have turned out to be a much deadlier and costly accident than it really was. So in a way, we are blessed.

And above all, we're saved by grace. Yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Talk about receiving a gift that we don't deserve. At the end of the day, grace is all I need. Sufferings, hardships, accidents can't faze us.

Soli Deo Gloria.