Soverign over Everything

On my way to work this morning a train was standing still on the tracks in front of me blocking my route. I was annoyed, being slightly late for work, because of my need to backtrack and follow a new path to my job that consisted of a bridge over the train. Later I learned that a man who was walking on the tracks had been struck and killed.
I was slightly frustrated when I had to turn around, but then remembered that God is in control of every situation that confronts us. My reaction of frustration was wrong and did not acknowledge that God was in control of the situation.
In Everyday Talk, John Younts discusses how our reaction in situations like these show our attitude toward our creator and exposes our worldview. An example he used was being frustrated at the weather because it ruined your plans for the day. This shows that you are not really acknowledging that God is in control or that he has your best interest in mind. He makes the application that your children who are learning about life from you are picking up these little, seemingly innocuous attitudes. This worldview is the one they observe in spite of your lectures to the opposite.
RC Sproul Jr. also picked up on this in his Sound Teaching Series, How Strong is He (Based on his book Almighty Over All). He really helped me to understand God's sovereignty in a tangible way that I can relate to. He again brought up that the little (as well as the large) situations and annoyances in our life are placed there by God for His purposes. This has haunted me many times as even little frustrations upset me. We need to repent of these responses and let Jesus change our hearts so that when anything happens in life we are immediately aware that God is sovereignly causing it to happen for His and our benefit.
I think that the reformed camp understands this, however we usually live as if God is only sovereign in big things such as the salvation of man. I imagine that when we are transformed to glory we will be astonished at how God wove every situation into a majestic tapestry. I think it was CS Lewis who said something to the effect that as the painter of life God does not waste one brush stroke. In essence everything that happens is done for an exact purpose that accomplishes His plans for His glory.
After my frustration with the train incident I was reading the current issue of Tabletalk magazine. An article in the April 2008 issue is devoted to The Belgic Confession. Guido de Bres, a main author of the Belgic Confession, was imprisoned and martyred for his dedication to the reformed faith. This was a man who understood Gods sovereignty in his life. He wrote these words to his wife just before he was hanged.

Your grief and anguish, troubling me in the midst of my joy and gladness, are the cause of writing to you this present letter. I most earnestly pray you not to be grieved beyond measure...If the Lord had wished us to live together longer, He could easily have caused it so to be. But such was not His pleasure. Let His good will be done then, and let that suffice for all reason...I pray you then to be comforted in the Lord, to commit yourself and your affairs to Him, for He is the Husband of the widow and the Father of the fatherless, and He will never leave nor forsake you...Goodbye, Catherine, my well beloved! I pray my God to comfort you, and give your resignation to His holy will. Your faithful husband, Guido de Bres.

May God give us such an understanding of His sovereignty as this. An understanding that penetrates deep into our souls and shows forth in our lives, all for His Glory.