Given May 10, 2014
Things happen in our lives that we can’t explain. The death of a child, an accident that causes us to miss a flight, we didn’t get that job that was “perfect” for us; you can add your own examples. At times like these, we may ask God, “Why?”. Sometimes He may respond or we may see the answer, however, we may not know until we get to Heaven why certain things happened. I got an answer recently that reminded me that God knows what He’s doing and I should just let Him run things.
I attend the monthly Men’s Breakfast at my church, Zion Family Ministries, and a breakfast at a friends church also. Both are early on Saturday mornings. This particular week had been a very busy week with the usual early risings and late night activities so I had decided I was going to just sleep in on this Saturday morning and miss the breakfast. I was going out of town the next day for a week-long conference and mini vacation so I needed the rest. So, that was my plan. However, when my eyes opened and I glanced at the clock at 7:35 AM, (the prayer breakfast begins at 8:00), I had the strongest urging to, “Get up, get ready, and go to the breakfast.” So I did. I rushed around, shaved, brushed my teeth, got dressed and headed out the door thinking something good was going to happen at the breakfast that God didn’t want me to miss.
As I drove to the church and rounded the last curve, I was astonished to see no cars in the church parking lot! I was a little late and there should have been several cars there. I thought, “They must have canceled the breakfast for some reason and I didn’t get the word.” I drove through the parking lot and headed back home very puzzled so I asked God, “Lord, you knew this thing was canceled, why did you get me up to drive out here for nothing?” Silence… I thought, “Oh well.”
As I mentioned, I was going out of town the next day for a conference and I needed to get some things done before leaving. I was not going to have time to mow my grass so was going to ask my neighbor Danny, who has a grass-mowing business, if he could do it for me during the week. It was supposed to rain that morning and I had a lot of things to do to get ready to leave. But when I pulled up in my driveway, I thought, “Well, I’ll go ahead and try to mow and get that chore done.” So i did.
I mowed my yard, front and back, and my son’s yard adjoining mine quickly and finished in about fifty-five minutes. I cleaned all the grass off the mowing deck and backed my zero-turn Troybilt into the garage feeling a sense of accomplishment that I had gotten this task done. Then, as I walked up the driveway toward the front of my house, big drops of rain began to fall. I looked at the large wet spots on the dry asphalt and thought, “Wow, what timing!” Then, in my Spirit, I heard this, “If I hadn’t gotten you up to go to the prayer breakfast, that I knew was cancelled, you would have slept in and missed this chance to mow your grass.” “That’s the answer to your question.” All I could say was, “Wow, God!” “Thank you!”
This was a gentle reminder that my God, your God, knows what He’s doing and we should just trust Him and not ask too many questions. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8). “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). God has a plan for our lives. Let Him work His plan without question and thank Him constantly for what He’s doing. Please comment below if you have a story of a time when God revealed an answer to you.