Journey to Faith

Journey to Faith
Follow your own path

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Whose Will Is It?

Ever have your mind made up to do something or go someplace, make all the plans, and then have it all fall through at the last minute? How do you explain these frustrating disappointments? Fate? Timing? Or could it be God's will?

Now, I know a lot of people poo-poo the very idea of God even caring about what we mortals do down here on earth. But I know differently. Here's a situation that happened recently and you tell me what you think.

It had been a rough day, starting off with my computer not working. Isn't that a fun way to start the day? "Oh my, here we go again," I thought. "Wonder what happened to the connection this time." So the first half of the day was spent troubleshooting what the problem was with the network connection. By lunchtime, I was thinking "I need to do something fun tonight". Now I usually go out to dinner with my son, but that night I felt like going country dancing. After several attempts at communicating and getting agreement with a friend, the plan was in place and I was looking forward to a fun evening.

Took a shower, got all dressed, did the makeup and hair routine, and was ready to head out the door when that small inner voice said "Take the recycling out on the way". I have learned, after many years, to heed that still small voice immediately, so I grabbed the bag of plastic containers and locked the door behind me. Coming back to my car after dropping the recycling in the dumpster, I noticed my left rear tire was extremely low.

"Guess I have to go to the gas station and get air in the tire now," I sighed. It was a bitter cold night. At the gas station, the tire would not inflate. "That's odd. I wonder what's wrong." Thankfully, I cannot remember the last time I had a flat tire. Undaunted, I decided to see if Sears Auto was still open. It was not. The sad realization that I was not going dancing that night finally sunk in.

"Lord, you know I wanted to go dancing tonight. I've had such a tough day." But it was not meant to be. I have to say I was not a happy camper. Can anyone relate at this point?

So what do we usually do next? You can answer that for yourself. But before my thoughts went down that negative track, I caught myself. "You know, this could have been a lot worse. You could have been on the highway and had a blow-out in this freezing cold weather. Then what would you have done?" Dismay and disappointment gave way to gratitude and praise. "Thank you, Lord, for your protection tonight. Thank you for keeping me safe. Thank you for telling me to take the recycling out." In Psalm 121:7-8, we are promised that "The Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

Thankfully, also, the friend I was meeting was still at home, finishing dinner. As I related the situation, my friend jokingly says "So I guess this was not God's will?" I cracked up. This was such an unexpected comment and it definitely lightened the situation.

"That's my take on it," I replied.

So what is your take on it? I am sure something like this has happened to you. How do you explain it? Until next time, let me encourage you to see things from a different perspective. What may look like a disappointment may well be the Lord's protection on your life. Send me your thoughts and in the meantime, keep looking up!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Fun With Favor

Everybody likes to have fun, yes? Working for the weekend, you know. What's your idea of a good time? Getting together with friends? Attending a football game or concert? Or perhaps participating in your favorite sport or hobby? There are so many ways to have fun, but have you ever thought about what makes the difference between a good time and a great time? The answer is this: the favor of God.

Now, you may or may not be familiar with this phrase so keep reading. According to my beloved pastor George, if we have our priorities straight, and I so agree with him, God will grant us fun with FAVOR. Let me share a recent example so you get the idea.

Last week was Valentine's Day, right? And, being a single lady in this couples world, I refuse to let the holiday go by without celebrating. So I made plans with a girlfriend to go out to dinner in Little Italy, a quaint section of Baltimore, famous for its atmosphere and good restaurants. I enjoy getting dressed up and going to a nice restaurant every so often and she was up for the adventure.

What an adventure it was too. Now I'm not keen on driving in the city, especially on a Saturday night and a holiday weekend, but her car headlight was out so I agreed to drive. As I was about to make the left turn onto Eastern Avenue, I began praying for a parking space. Yes, the Lord does care about these mundane things.

"Lord, please give us a spot close to the restaurant so we don't have to walk far in this cold," I said aloud. As I turned onto Eastern Avenue, what do I see but a space on the right side of the road!

"I think I can fit in here," I said to my friend, Janis as I maneuvered into the spot.

"Wow, you know how to parallel park," Janis commented.

We got out of the car & checked the parking sign. "I think we're good to go here. Thank you, Lord". Surveying our location, I realized the restaurant was on the street immediately to our left, only a few blocks down.

Sure enough, Ciao Bella was only a short walk away. We arrived on time. The host steered us to a cozy table for two right in front of the main window. "This is the best seat in the house," I said to Janis as I settled into my chair.

"You're right," Janis agreed. That was two gifts of favor and the evening had barely begun.

"So have you been here before?" Janis asked.
"Yes, once - years ago. And I had the best chicken with crabmeat and sun-dried tomatoes dish," I recalled.

As I perused the menu, I didn't see the chicken dish anywhere. Well, they must have changed the menu.

The waiter soon approached and began telling us the specials of the day. "And we have chicken Annabelle: a chicken breast, topped with lump crabmeat in a sundried tomato sauce." Janis and I looked at each other. That was favor #3.

The meal was delicious, the wine exceptional, and I had a Groupon to cover much of the cost. After dinner, we decided to stop by Vaccaro's for a hot coffee. As we sipped on our hot Mochaccinos, the warmth of the sweet liquid felt so good against the brisk night air. "What a great time!" Janis bubbled on the way home.

"Yes, indeed it was," I agreed.

And that, my friends, is fun with favor.

So, are you experiencing fun with favor in your life? If not, there may be something you can do about it and it all starts with having faith in God. It really is a simple process and there is nothing to be afraid of. God truly loves each of us as his own special Valentine. Until next time, put your trust in Jesus and remember to keep looking up!