Image credit: By Zach Korb (2017), Flickr.com, CC By-NC 2.0[/caption]
[Jesus] answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you." (Acts 1: 7-8a)Every now and again my efforts to be prepared, organized, and thorough fall apart like a sand castle in a rainstorm! When that happens, I can be positive it’s God serving me a slice of humble pie and waiting with a lesson. I was trying to be all fancy and impressive last week and I had this magnificent new recipe all whipped up in the crock pot ready to go when I left the house to do a hundred things. During one of my errands I chatted with a frazzled mom who was in a rush to get home, get dinner, get one child to swim lessons and another to dance and the third to grandma’s to finish a 4-H project for the fair, and then pick up her house before anyone saw the disaster. I thought to myself, "Poor thing, I’m so glad my dinner is bubbling away in the crock pot and my house is tidy." Now, I certainly didn’t say that and I have certainly been in that mamma's shoes more times than I can even count, but in that moment, I was feeling prouder than I should have! A couple of hours later I pulled in the garage feeling all accomplished and took some groceries into the house and was surprised that I wasn’t greeted by the delicious smells coming from my fancy dinner in the crock pot. Upon closer inspection, I realized the knob was on the low setting as directed, so I of course began to fuss about the darn broken crock pot. As I spit and sputtered, I came to the humbling realization that I had never plugged the stupid thing in! Wow … so much for being on top of everything! The leftovers I served that night were much less impressive and I suddenly felt deflated. Oh, and did I mention my clean floor was now a mess of dirt and broken glass as because I set a plant on the window to get some extra sun and the wind blew it off, sending it crashing onto the hard wood floor, shattering the pot and scattering the mess clear across the dining room floor. As I began sweeping up the mess the sound of the beeping microwave heating the leftovers reminded me to look for the lesson! My first attempt at finding the lesson was a little sassy on my part. I actually said, “Well fine, I guess I’m not supposed to be organized and think ahead. You’re trying to tell me I’m supposed to fly by the seat of my pants -- is that it?” I stomped around the kitchen serving up day-old spaghetti and sweeping up dirt while pouting. I’m sure you can imagine how productive that was. Before I went to sleep that night, I remember thinking with a softer heart, "OK, God, I’m done pouting; please show me the lesson because I’m positive I’ve missed it completely!" The next morning I got word that a friend who had been waiting for weeks to hear about a new job got a call and was hired with a huge bonus and great benefits. I heard about a family who has been waiting for months and months to adopt were suddenly on a plane to California to meet their soon-to-be born son, and that a gentleman who had been suffering from a mystery sickness finally got a diagnosis and the treatment was simple and completely effective -- and he was feeling miraculously better in just a couple of treatments. After responding to all three of those fabulous messages I sat down to pray in thanksgiving for their good news and came across this verse from Acts. I once again was flabbergasted with the Father's perfect timing and humorously direct response! The lesson was a big one; I can be as prepared and organized and fancy as I want but only He knows the details and the timing. I have no power and when I try to think I do and I spend too much time being all puffed up about my “skills” I fail to let him have control and I get caught up in my own efforts and think they matter. He was poking me right in my pride and then he swooped in the next day with not one, but three amazing examples of his perfect timing. I can be as ready and prepared as I want, but I’m not in charge and sometimes I just have to wait. I don’t always get things my way and don’t have all the answers. The lady waiting on the job nearly took a different one with lower pay and no benefits because she was discouraged with the wait. The couple waiting for an adoption thinking God had abandoned them is now at home with their perfect son, and the man who suffered for months wound up with a much less serious affliction that is treatable with a simple and inexpensive procedure. There was great blessing on their waiting: I think God was trying to remind me that is always the case! And one more detail to the story, in His great humor, a friend saw that fabulous new recipe on my counter and told me not to bother with it because she made it and it was awful! He’s so funny! A Seed To Plant: What are you waiting for? Take that list to the Father in prayer and give him permission to take his time and then pray for the grace of patience! Blessings on your day!
Copyright 2019 Sheri Wohlfert
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