God recently performed an amazing work in the life of someone close to me. It was so remarkable that merely witnessing it was a gift. The details are not mine to share, but I hope it's evident in every post that my focus here is not on the details surrounding the gifts, but on the nature of the Giver. The gifts point to God, and my purpose in discussing them is to acknowledge the source and glorify Him.
I walked alongside someone for over a year as they faced turmoil, grief, and uncertainty. A fellow Christian, this person prayed about her situation, sought guidance from scripture, spent time in self-examination, and made earnest attempts to change things for the better. In summary, she acted in good faith to address the cause of her pain, and yet it all came to nothing. My own efforts were even less productive. Though I too sought to view the circumstances from a Biblical perspective, there was nothing I could do to effect any change. I could only listen, empathize, encourage, and pray. There was nothing else to be done. The best human efforts had failed. It was apparent that only God could provide any measure of relief, and it seemed His response throughout months of prayers was, "No." So I watched, frustrated, heartbroken, and helpless, as things spiraled downward toward tragedy.
And then, when all seemed utterly hopeless, God suddenly intervened. In an instant, everything changed. She literally went to bed one evening in a state of despair and woke to find that God had not only made things better, but had completely redeemed the situation. God had done "immeasurably more" than we could imagine. The change has been so stunning that in the midst of my joy, I find that I am still adjusting to the new reality because it is so different from what I thought possible.
But God is not limited by what we consider possible, and if, in His providence, He chooses to delay, our lack of understanding should not cause us to doubt or lose hope. I am not suggesting that waiting for His answer is easy. On the contrary, it can be difficult and discouraging, but in His wisdom, God chooses when and how to intervene, and though I have often been perplexed, I have not ever had sufficient grounds to doubt His faithfulness.
I've been thinking a lot lately about my favorite scene in the movie The African Queen. As Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart make their treacherous journey down the Ulanga river toward Lake Victoria they come to a place where the river all but disappears. Though they know the river eventually pours into Lake Victoria, all that is visible from their vantage point is a maze of marshes. The water becomes so shallow they are forced to get out of the boat and pull it by hand as they attempt to navigate through the swamps. When the boat becomes bogged down in the mire and they can go no further, they are convinced all hope is lost. Disheartened, exhausted, and unable to find their way, they collapse into the boat. Katherine Hepburn's character, a missionary, offers up a prayer, but is so certain of their fate, it is a funereal prayer--she doesn't even ask God to deliver them. Indeed, all does seem hopeless, but as the camera pans back, the audience can see the heroes are only a few hundred yards from the free-flowing river. The fact that they are unable to see it doesn't change the fact that the river is there, but despite their best efforts they have been unable to find their way to higher water on their own. And then, in an instant, everything changes. It begins to rain, and when they awake they find their boat has become dislodged and has drifted into the river. Better still, they can see Lake Victoria in the distance. They have not only been rescued from tragedy, but are in sight of what they are seeking.
The parallels between this scene and what I recently witnessed are striking. The river was there all along, but she was unable to get to it on her own. When all human strivings had failed, God redeemed the situation in a moment, and there can be no question as to the source of her deliverance.
I walked alongside someone for over a year as they faced turmoil, grief, and uncertainty. A fellow Christian, this person prayed about her situation, sought guidance from scripture, spent time in self-examination, and made earnest attempts to change things for the better. In summary, she acted in good faith to address the cause of her pain, and yet it all came to nothing. My own efforts were even less productive. Though I too sought to view the circumstances from a Biblical perspective, there was nothing I could do to effect any change. I could only listen, empathize, encourage, and pray. There was nothing else to be done. The best human efforts had failed. It was apparent that only God could provide any measure of relief, and it seemed His response throughout months of prayers was, "No." So I watched, frustrated, heartbroken, and helpless, as things spiraled downward toward tragedy.
And then, when all seemed utterly hopeless, God suddenly intervened. In an instant, everything changed. She literally went to bed one evening in a state of despair and woke to find that God had not only made things better, but had completely redeemed the situation. God had done "immeasurably more" than we could imagine. The change has been so stunning that in the midst of my joy, I find that I am still adjusting to the new reality because it is so different from what I thought possible.
But God is not limited by what we consider possible, and if, in His providence, He chooses to delay, our lack of understanding should not cause us to doubt or lose hope. I am not suggesting that waiting for His answer is easy. On the contrary, it can be difficult and discouraging, but in His wisdom, God chooses when and how to intervene, and though I have often been perplexed, I have not ever had sufficient grounds to doubt His faithfulness.
I've been thinking a lot lately about my favorite scene in the movie The African Queen. As Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart make their treacherous journey down the Ulanga river toward Lake Victoria they come to a place where the river all but disappears. Though they know the river eventually pours into Lake Victoria, all that is visible from their vantage point is a maze of marshes. The water becomes so shallow they are forced to get out of the boat and pull it by hand as they attempt to navigate through the swamps. When the boat becomes bogged down in the mire and they can go no further, they are convinced all hope is lost. Disheartened, exhausted, and unable to find their way, they collapse into the boat. Katherine Hepburn's character, a missionary, offers up a prayer, but is so certain of their fate, it is a funereal prayer--she doesn't even ask God to deliver them. Indeed, all does seem hopeless, but as the camera pans back, the audience can see the heroes are only a few hundred yards from the free-flowing river. The fact that they are unable to see it doesn't change the fact that the river is there, but despite their best efforts they have been unable to find their way to higher water on their own. And then, in an instant, everything changes. It begins to rain, and when they awake they find their boat has become dislodged and has drifted into the river. Better still, they can see Lake Victoria in the distance. They have not only been rescued from tragedy, but are in sight of what they are seeking.
The parallels between this scene and what I recently witnessed are striking. The river was there all along, but she was unable to get to it on her own. When all human strivings had failed, God redeemed the situation in a moment, and there can be no question as to the source of her deliverance.
