Wednesday, February 26, 2020 14:55:21
Posted By Nan
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When God’s direction is not the one you think it should be For today’s blog I am telling a story. This story is a timely reminder of how we can block the joy God has for us when we try to impose our will on a situation rather than trusting God. This is what the Psalms I have covered already have been referring to. Trust in God and a willingness to place our trust in Him and be able to praise Him, even when things are really dark, is what gives us joy. Thirty years ago, my first daughter was approaching her first birthday. There was a group of mothers I had met at our local Baby Health Clinic who all had babies the same age. As Christmas approached we planned a Christmas Party play morning. We all had to buy a small present for our child to wrap and put under the tree. We were on a tight budget and I was wondering what I could squeeze in the budget to afford this present. As I walked along the road, praying for guidance, I saw two $2 coins on the ground. I picked them up. I could not see anyone near who may have dropped them. Shortly after that I walked past a book store and saw on tables out the front discount children’s books. As I looked at the table, I saw a book about the first Christmas. It was $4! It was exactly what I wanted for my daughter. Here was a lovely book I could read to her to teach her about Jesus’ birth. So I bought the book, wrapped it and placed under the tree at the play morning. The morning was hosted by a domineering woman. She was strong willed and opiniated. Her strongest opinion was her hatred of all things Jesus. She did not like me at all. At that time she did not realise I was a follower of Jesus but maybe she sensed it. This woman was also avaricious. The presents sat under the tree with my book being the biggest gift. The woman announced we were going to pick a gift from under the tree for our child. She had sighted my gift, the biggest, and she wanted the biggest gift for her son. So she insisted on going first. Her son went to grab a brightly coloured package but she wasn’t having that. She directed him to my gift. The look of greed on her face as he opened it was astonishing. Then her face turned to consternation and disgust. It was a book about Jesus! Her son was delighted. A book! He lifted it to his mother to read and she was repelled by it. At the time I, felt a mixture of disappointment, because I wanted the book for my daughter, and laughter that this avaricious woman had directed her son to the biggest present that turned out to be the last thing she wanted. In the end the disappointment was the greatest feeling. As I sat there feeling disappointed, God gently reminded me that my daughter already knew about Him. I would always be able to teach her about Him. She had the blessing of that teaching already. But this little boy had a mother who hated God. This was one of the only chances he was going to get to hear about Jesus. This morning, I remembered the story again. As I contemplated it, in conversation with God, He reminded me about that boy and his need. He had other family who loved God and prayed for him. That book was not thrown away, they found it and read it to the boy so that he could learn about God. God had plans for that boy. He belonged to God and at some stage in his life he will meet God and become a follower of Jesus, if he hasn’t already done so. When we see things happening, we second guess God’s direction and think we have it all worked out. But God’s direction is not always the direction we have decided it will be. This story is a great illustration of how I decided God had supplied this book for my daughter. But He had supplied it instead for a little boy whose relatives prayed for him. He had supplied that little boy with a way for his relatives to teach him about Jesus. It was a good reminder to not rush to reach the end too soon but to wait and see how that end unfolds. It came at a time when I was waiting to resolve a family misunderstanding and was tempted to imagine the future and what may happen. It was God’s reminder to not think of the future but to wait patiently for His resolution. And while I was waiting, to pray. |