UNDER PRESSURE â—½ ENCOURAGEMENT
God Things
by Debbie Haynes
I define “God Things” as events in our lives that we really have very little input into, not by us arranging them, and when the outcome is so powerful – it could only have been a “God Thing.”
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Here are a couple of “God Things” from my own life:
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At age 17, I got my first professional job at Bank of America. The rule was that everyone worked late Friday night, so it was normal to get home around 9pm and…we were not ever to ask off work for Friday. I had told my manager I was the church pianist. She was from a well-to-do Catholic/Italian family and her nickname was Pep (short for Chili Pepper, as in someone with a red hot temper!) Our choir was invited other places and you guessed it – these performances were on Friday nights and involved travel time. I told my manager in advance about this, because the pianist had to be present, or the choir didn’t sing! Pep grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me into a conference room where she slammed the door shut, got in my face, but then…she spoke and said,
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“All right. You can go, but don’t you tell a single soul about this…and do not make it habit!”
(photo courtesy of Doug Gephardt)
Of course, I was thankful and had that same conversation about five times total, and her answer was the same every time.
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That was a “God Thing!”
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After I left the bank, I worked for Ernst and Young for 13 years. During that time, one of my sons played football in high school and part of college. I had a boss that hated just about everyone (I’m not exaggerating). But for some reason, he did love my husband and me, and he loved football. When our team had an away game, he let me leave work early. He never charged me for the time or required that I make it up. And of course, when he asked for help on a Saturday to do a few things, Jim and I often showed up, happy to assist. On Mondays, he asked, “How did you do? Did you win the game?” And he wanted to know all about it.
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That was a “God Thing!”
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Psalm 37:23 says,
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
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We don’t always recognize this direction because we’re so engrossed in life. But we need to follow the advice in a very old song that says “Not my will but thine be done…” words that Jesus prayed. This needs to be our prayer daily for Jesus to guide our feet, hold our hands, all the way.
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That’s how I believe “God Things” happen to us. When our heart is in the right relationship with God and others, he moves our feet along the pathway of life he’s chosen for us.
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I could tell of so many “God Things” over the years, like when I got laid off a job of five years but through relationships there our son got admitted to law school when there were no openings to be had. Or how when buying our house, the ugliest house on the block, it was in the best location and had great remodeling potential. And how moving across the country when we did, my husband immediately got a job and I also got one too, not the one I wanted, but the best one for me.
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All things that happen along our way are not necessarily good when isolated on their own, but God takes them and uses his divine handiwork and makes them work together to accomplish his perfect will in us. We can see this so clearly in scripture.
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Moses, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Elijah, Jesus…and more…like Paul. Paul’s “God Thing” not only changed his life, but radially impacted the world!
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We can see that the whole worlds stands in need of a “God Thing” right now. But we know that even when things are awful, God performs and acts in ways that human minds cannot imagine. In famine, he provides manna and meat. In drought, he provides rain for things to grow, and in war he provides victory. In chaos, he sends his presence as peace, and in unrighteous governments he brings his scales of justice.
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Romans 11:35 says,
“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.”
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God is still doing his thing. He never changes. If you can recall a “God Thing” in your life, savor it. It will help you trust him again and to stay encouraged. Delight yourself in Him. Trust Him to perform “God Things” in your life and in the lives of those you love.