You see,
I don't see faith as something that simply "makes you happy", that
God caters to our self-centered, little-kid wishes that have no lasting impact.
I am a principled person. I care very much about the shoulds and the musts.
Sure, I'll appreciate a beautiful sunset and give Him the praise for it in a
quiet you-and-me moment, but purposefully interfering with electronics and
man-made patterns that affect many people in traffic just to make one person
smile? Not so sure about that. The idea didn't even sound biblical. Yes, God
intervened many times in the Bible to show Himself, to bring people to Him or
to grow the "key players" in His story. Yes, Jesus said even the
hairs on our heads are numbered (Matthew 10:30), but I just thought that was
showing God both knows all and that he cares about us as individuals. But I
don't see stories about God-ordained occurrences that made people smile,
nothing more.
Then
this week has been an amusing monkey wrench in all of that. First, a little
more necessary backstory. Carrying on my family's tradition, I have a
"prayer bowl" at my husband and I's dinner table. Each night that we
are home for dinner, one of us chooses a piece of paper from the bowl that has
someone or something to pray for, making sure not to peek before we pick. I
wrote the names months ago: family members, work places, the president, etc.
Usually we decide who will bless the meal based on who is more connected to the
name we drew.
This
week, however, we've nominated the other person to pray and "taken our
chances" that the name will be related to the other person. And it's
worked out. After it happened a few nights in a row, I wondered out loud if God
was specifically "planning" who we'd pray for. Ben jumped on that.
"You believe God would do that but not intervene with stoplights?" I
had to laugh. Touché. My faith is probably too small.
The
following day, Ben and I were asked to consider more involved roles with the
worship teams of our church. Somewhat unexpected stuff. An hour later, we were
sitting down to dinner and who should we pick from the prayer bowl but
"Vineyard worship team". I laughed and laughed. If anything, I think
God has a sense of humor!
As a
Christian, I'm inclined to believe there are few coincidences. Some things seem
too significant to be pure chance, yet sometimes too small to be the "hand
of God". I don't know... I don't have it all figured out. Here's what I do know however:
1) God's in control of everything, directly or indirectly. He also has
cosmically big purposes. I may not see the point of "small"
happenings but ultimately He may be working them out in a certain way for the
sake of the bigger picture.
2) Prayers matter. The
missionary Paul wrote frankly to one church, "you help us by your prayers" (2 Corinthians 1:11). So God may well be wanting an extra prayer for someone one
day, so out of the "random" prayer bowl comes their name.
3) He cares about growing my faith. There
are lots of people in the Bible who had specific encounters with God that were
ordained to increase their trust and belief in Him. I'm particularly reminded
of Gideon from the Old Testament, who was chosen by God for a big task. He had
the audacity to test God about this: “If now I have
found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to
me." (Judges 6:17) So he places a wool fleece out over night. If it has
dew on it but not the floor around it--that'd be God's sign. God does it this
way. Gideon tests Him again, in the opposite way: no dew on the fleece but dew
on the floor. God does it that way. Gideon is convinced and goes on the quest.
That's awfully patient of God! He must have really cared that Gideon had enough
faith!
Years ago, my sister chastised me years ago for not
praying when I had lost something. I have prayed in those circumstances ever
since--not just so that I'll find them, but also to show God I trust Him with everything and that I believe that He
cares. Still not sure where I stand on the stoplight issue but that's okay. I'm guessing my God is challenging me to grow again: to believe He is so big, He's that minutely involved.
Thoughtfully
yours,
Ellen
"And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose." (Romans 8:28)
"You have
searched me, Lord, and
you know me. You know
when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You
discern my going out and my lying down; you are
familiar with all my ways." (Psalm 139:1-3)
"Are not two sparrows
sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your
Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are
all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)
