Hey God, Ya Listening?
Ξ September 29th, 2007 | → 2 Comments | ∇ Christian Living, Growing In The Lord |
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Some time ago, we had a bunch of car trouble. Right after we got the car, it started doing things I had never encountered before. It would be just fine until we went on a longer trip…of about 75 miles on a warm day. At some point, it would stop running. Period. When I pulled over to the side of the road, it would not start right away. A few moments later, it was fine…for a while. I would continue to have this problem off and on for miles. When I got home, I figured the car wasn’t going to go anywhere until we got it fixed.
But it continued to be a problem because the mechanic couldn’t find the problem. It would be running fine…until it didn’t. One day, we were at the doctor’s office for an appointment, regular checkup. It took longer than usual. It was in the afternoon not long before the girls were due home on the school bus. The door was locked and we had expected to be there so there was no way inside without us being there. (We were always there for them. That’s why no key was necessary)
When I tried to start the car, it would not start. I prayed over the car and the situation. It was going to be fine. Thirty five minutes later, I began to think we would not get home. There was no one to be with the girls and they would be scared because we weren’t there. No one to pick them up. The extended family was too far away to help. I sat in that car and cried. Forty minutes after I tried to start the car, I got angry at God. Why wouldn’t He answer us in this? Why do the girls have to suffer for something that wasn’t their fault? Why God, why? Are you even listening to me?
As I exhausted myself in tears and frustration, I asked my husband to go inside and call a tow truck. We did not have the money and weren’t going to have it anytime soon. I had given up. God wasn’t home or He was asleep but what He was not doing was answering my prayers. We decided that we would take some money from our savings (for the rest of the monthly bills) and find a way to get it back…somehow.
Anyone been there? It is a horrible feeling because at that point, you feel so very alone. God isn’t answering. He is not providing, no matter what He promised. Right? Uh, maybe not. God says that before you even ask the question, He is there for you. Want to see?
(Isa 65:24) And it will be, before they call I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
So, God hears the pleas of His children. Okay, what’s up with Him not answering me then? I asked Him in faith, believing that the car would start because we needed to get home for those children who would be scared if we were not there.
After the incident, God pointed out something about a word I had begun to despise..patience. See, I am not a patient person so when God didn’t pony up like I wanted, He let me alone for a while, letting me try to fix it “my way”. You know, that phrase might work in a Frank Sinatra song but it does not work well with God. He expects us to do it HIS way. He let me know that it was an exercise in patience and I had failed. My assessment, not His. I failed. Sigh. Not again.That gets frustrating too.
Want to know what happened, eh? Well, I settled down and stopped crying when it occurred to me how ridiculous I was being. I started to pray about it. Apparently, it took my husband a few minutes to get a hold of the tow truck driver because he was gone for about five minutes. I began to pray with an eye for praise instead of condemning God for not producing. I praised Him for keeping us safe because it occurred to me that it was possible that we avoided an accident because of the delay. (It’s happened before)
My husband came out to tell me that the tow truck would be a little while…long after the girls would get home. I thanked God that we would be able to get there at all. At that point, I got nudged to try the car again. It STARTED!!!!! My husband went back in to call the tow truck and tell them they weren’t needed. They were happy because they had a load of calls that day. We got home just ahead of the bus so the girls did not have to be scared.
God did answer my prayer. He simply did it in His time, not mine. The car ran pretty good for a while after that too. Eventually, we did get it fixed at a time that we had the money to do it, not before.
(Isa 55:8-9) For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Our Lord is an awesome God!! And for the record, He most certainly DOES listen and answer prayers. Just don’t try to manipulate Him or make promises that you can’t keep because He will want you to do just that.
Be blessed of God today and thank you for your patience as I try to get back into my routine.
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