A few weeks back I did something I hate. It’s happened at least a couple dozen times, and it’s always untimely!

I’m talking about spraining an ankle. Most of my episodes, like this one, have occurred on the basketball court. I was playing ball with some guys, went up for a rebound, came down on someone’s foot, and the rest is misery.

God, however, took my pain and made His plans plain. For after I hobbled off the court to ice my ankle in the locker room, a guy I had been befriending came in a few minutes later. He sat down and began to talk about a huge struggle in his life, and God opened the door for me to share Jesus with him. A friendship has been sparked, and I’m excited to see how my new friend will grow spiritually in the days ahead.

As I think about bitter pain being used by God, I’m reminded of Naomi. When things went south for her—she lost her husband and sons while living in a foreign country (Moab)—she returned to her hometown of Bethlehem in Judah and proclaimed, “Call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me” (Ruth 1:20). Mara means “bitter,” while Naomi means “pleasant.”

But God opened the door at just the right time for Naomi to be restored. By an amazing turn of events, God provided Naomi with a grandson through whom she could experience hope and a future. Her friends saw God’s fingerprints all over her happy ending and identified who was behind it by declaring: “Praise the Lord” (4:14).

What seems bitter today can be used by God for some mighty pleasant plans! He can use that tough situation at home or the office to do some great things—at just the right time!