There’s an old story about a man that was caught in a flood. He was a good Christian man, so he prayed, and prayed hard. He got what he felt like was an answer from God: an assurance that God would see him through the storm and that he would live on to share the gospel with many more people. As the rains continued, he had to go upstairs, because the ground floor of his house was taking on water. Looking out the window of the second floor, he saw someone come by with a rowboat. The man in the rowboat called out to him, but our hero called back, “It’s okay! God’s gonna save me! Go help someone who really needs it!” So, the man in the boat, grateful for an excuse not to have to spend time with this religious kook, went away. As the waters continued to rise, however, our protagonist found himself on the roof of his house. After a little while, another man in another boat came by, and a similar exchange took place. Still later, as he’s climbing onto the chimney, a helicopter comes by, and tries to lower a rope to him. “That’s okay! God’s gonna save me!” So the helicopter left. Eventually, the man drowned. Upon his arrival in heaven (I told you he was a good Christian man) he demanded to see ‘the boss’ immediately. “What happened? I thought you were going to save me?” God replied, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?”
My son mentioned this past week-end that heard about a radio announcer that was on the job one afternoon, several years ago, and he got a call from a man who identified himself as Jimmy Stewart. He put the caller on hold, took care of a few things, started another song playing, and saw that the caller was still holding, whoever it was. So he picked the phone back up, “What can I do for you, Jimmy?” “Well, some friends and I were just out here fishing, and listening to the radio, and I wanted to call and thank you for playing such good music for us this afternoon.” “Well, thank you, Jimmy, but I have to go,” and he hung up. Later on, he picked up a newspaper and saw an article explaining that Jimmy Stewart had come to the area to do some fishing with some friends. At that point, of course, the realization hit that that really was jimmy Stewart on the phone. “Not only,” says the DJ, “did I talk to Jimmy Stewart on the phone, but I was a jerk to him.” One would hope that Mr. Stewart was understanding enough to realize that the DJ had no real reason to expect a call from Jimmy Stewart.
The two stories have a common theme: In both stories, the main character didn’t recognize what an opportunity he had, because it wasn’t what he was expecting. In the first story, the man was expecting some great miracle from God, but God used ordinary, mundane things to accomplish His purpose (or, at least, tried to). In the second story, the man didn’t know Jimmy Stewart was in the area, and so, when the call came in, naturally assumed that it was a crank call. In retrospect, a crank caller probably wouldn’t have waited on hold just for the sake of a joke.
How many times have you longed to see a miracle, and ignored the sunrise? Asked God for help with something, and when someone came along and helped, you chalked it up to coincidence? Wondered why nobody did something that so obviously needed doing, when God had given you the ability to do it yourself? Sometimes miracles hide in plain sight and we just walk right by, because they aren’t what we expect. Sometimes you can find the miracle you are looking for at the end of your own arm (I didn’t make that up, by the way, but I don’t remember where I heard it from, or I would give credit, but I’m not going to claim it as my own).
I don’t want to go without at least one Scripture reference, so here it is: Jeremiah 29:11.
My son mentioned this past week-end that heard about a radio announcer that was on the job one afternoon, several years ago, and he got a call from a man who identified himself as Jimmy Stewart. He put the caller on hold, took care of a few things, started another song playing, and saw that the caller was still holding, whoever it was. So he picked the phone back up, “What can I do for you, Jimmy?” “Well, some friends and I were just out here fishing, and listening to the radio, and I wanted to call and thank you for playing such good music for us this afternoon.” “Well, thank you, Jimmy, but I have to go,” and he hung up. Later on, he picked up a newspaper and saw an article explaining that Jimmy Stewart had come to the area to do some fishing with some friends. At that point, of course, the realization hit that that really was jimmy Stewart on the phone. “Not only,” says the DJ, “did I talk to Jimmy Stewart on the phone, but I was a jerk to him.” One would hope that Mr. Stewart was understanding enough to realize that the DJ had no real reason to expect a call from Jimmy Stewart.
The two stories have a common theme: In both stories, the main character didn’t recognize what an opportunity he had, because it wasn’t what he was expecting. In the first story, the man was expecting some great miracle from God, but God used ordinary, mundane things to accomplish His purpose (or, at least, tried to). In the second story, the man didn’t know Jimmy Stewart was in the area, and so, when the call came in, naturally assumed that it was a crank call. In retrospect, a crank caller probably wouldn’t have waited on hold just for the sake of a joke.
How many times have you longed to see a miracle, and ignored the sunrise? Asked God for help with something, and when someone came along and helped, you chalked it up to coincidence? Wondered why nobody did something that so obviously needed doing, when God had given you the ability to do it yourself? Sometimes miracles hide in plain sight and we just walk right by, because they aren’t what we expect. Sometimes you can find the miracle you are looking for at the end of your own arm (I didn’t make that up, by the way, but I don’t remember where I heard it from, or I would give credit, but I’m not going to claim it as my own).
I don’t want to go without at least one Scripture reference, so here it is: Jeremiah 29:11.
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