Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Arriving Late on the Scene

The tardiness of God, if I may call it that, in His interaction with our life's emergencies smacks of riding the most thrilling of roller coasters.  No one who has truly walked with Jesus can say that life is dull or bland.  Many times I have felt Him lead me to the edge of the precipice and coax me to jump, trusting that He will catch me.  (Reminds me of that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when Indiana has to step off the cliff onto the path that he can not see from his perspective.)

For example, early in our marriage Ryan and I felt led to join a church planting project in Limerick, Ireland.  In order to move there, Ryan had to find a job in a country where unemployment at that time was high, and an Irishman would have precedence over any other nationality.  I had an 18 month old and was pregnant with the second child, during the time we were preparing to make the move.  Before we could finalize this giant step, we took a one week trip over to Ireland to see if we could find a job, living arrangements, and birthing arrangements for me.  After seeing the hospital there, I was confirmed in my leading to find a midwife to take me in my third trimester to birth at HOME....in a country where almost NOBODY homebirths.  So here we were with one week to find what many said was impossible, and what I felt certainly was.  By the time we left, we had our living arrangements set, a free car reserved for us, two jobs for Ryan, and I found a British midwife, who I adored, and who would take me on in  my 3rd trimester for a home birth.  He led, we jumped, and He caught us.  He was there on the scene, and not a moment too soon, or too late.

But He doesn't always arrive just in time, or rather just when WE think He should.  Take Jarius the synagogue ruler in Luke 8:49-56 for example. His daughter was dying, and he sent for Jesus to come and heal her.  Jesus was willing, and as he approached, none too hurried by man's perspective, He received word that the girl had already passed away.  He reassured those around Him to be brave, believe, and that the girl would be made well.  He even told those weeping outside her home to dry their tears, for the girl was not dead, but sleeping.

Sometimes God does not seem to be in his right mind because we can not see all that He sees.  Those weeping for the dead girl certainly did not think Jesus knew what He was talking about.  He arrived too late, from what they could see.  But Jesus went in to the girl's room and raised her from the dead. Why didn't He choose to save her before she died? And save those who loved her from the grief of seeing her die?  I don't know.  I rarely know the "why" behind the workings of God.  But I do know, that although He appeared to be tardy in His interaction, it is never too late for the God who can bring life out of death.

I write this today as a reminder to myself, as much as an encouragement to those who read it and understand.  Yesterday I was given the news that we have a leak under our house.  We have smelled something unpleasant for the last two weeks, and have been searching our cabinets and cleaning every nook and cranny to no avail.  I called the exterminator to come out and check for a dead animal under the house, he didn't find one, but he did find some kind of leak that has soaked our insulation, and who knows what else.  I have visions of black mold, and every kind of doom.  A handyman friend of ours will be out today to crawl under and see what is really going on...it really smells in the house.

For a family of seven on a teacher salary, a major house repair is never good news.  Sometimes it appears that we can never get ahead.  But God is not tardy, even if it appears so to me.  He will be faithful to meet this need as carefully as He met them all in Ireland.  He may meet the need in a timely manner for me, or He may arrive late on the scene, but it will only makefor a more exciting ride.  Whatever He chooses, I  know I can trust Him, and that is enough.

3 comments:

  1. L.O.V.E it! I needed to hear this reminder, today, too.

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  2. Awesome. You're so right!

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  3. Nice post! thanks for the encouragement today!

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