Early morning walk. A frigid breeze blows straight through me as the dog is finding every new smell left behind by nocturnal visitors. A bit too cold for playtime and I have a big day ahead. My frustrations spill over into my quiet time, my mind is all over the place.
I forge through the morning routine until I am quietly on my way, in the solace of a warm truck, working my way around other weary travelers headed to where Monday morning takes them. This is usually time for prayer and reflection, but not this morning.
Traffic is moving and green lights abound. My phone rings with the sweet voice of my dear bride with a change in plans for the day. A welcome distraction from the mundane commute. As the call ends, I see the next green light in the distance turn to yellow. “I can make it” but I’ve seen too many crack’em ups at that intersection, so I thought better of it.
The red lighted pause was only momentary but it gave me pause to consider why the interruption. God’s hand is in all things, so I pondered, was this a random occurrence? Was there impending danger ahead that a small lapse of time prevented?
“Teach me, and I will be quiet” Job 6:24
An excerpt from a different story, but simple and poignant. A chance to stop and be quiet and allow God to teach me.
I try and approach difficulties as a way for God to work in me (or more often, work on me). How many times has my life been spared by His grace that I have not seen?
I once read a theory about Joshua and the Israelites crossing the Jordan on dry land.
“For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” Joshua 4:23-24
The theory was that Joshua came to a shallow part of the river and the waters had to be halted miles upstream for the Jordan to dry up at the crossing. Now God does not need to manipulate the constraints of this physical world to wield His power. Perhaps, the point was that God had to start holding back the water hours or even days before the crossing, performing miracles long before Joshua needed it.
How many times have we avoided dangers unaware? How many times do we encounter a pleasant coincidence that seemed to result from redirection at every turn? How many journeys have we traveled to get us to where we are?
Faith is the belief in things unseen.
Grace is the gift of a loving God to we, the undeserving.
How much grace have we received that we will not know until we sit at the feet of Jesus and He tells us the story?
I’m looking forward to finding out.
Grateful that I Am
Blessed in Great Measure
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