In our forty-three years of marriage and ministry, Gaylon and I have known lean times and fat times, and I am not talking about weight. Let’s not go there! We’ve had times when our budget was unbearably tight, and we have had to pray down divine supply.  I am not in the camp that buys things, and then asks God to make the payments just because I want something. Wanting and needing are not the same.  I do, however, confess and live by Philippians 4:19 which says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

One time when things were a bit tight, I was spending money on no extras. My dish towels were so thread-bare that I could almost read a book through them.  I decided to go to a local store to purchase dish towels.  As I was perusing the kitchen supply section, I saw a set of three dish towels that matched my kitchen. They weren’t the cheapest ones, but I knew they would last longer.  I picked up a package of three, and a couple of other items, and proceeded to the checkout.  After ringing up my order, the clerk told me how much I owed. I knew it wasn’t enough, and as much as I wanted a good deal, I wasn’t going to be dishonest about it. I looked at the sales receipt, and said to the worker, “I think there is a mistake, because the dish towels rang up for only a penny.”  She said, “Well, I can’t do nothin’ about it because that’s how the computer rang it up.”  Not wanting to do the wrong thing, I requested to see the manager. The manager looked at the receipt and said, “It’s probably wrong but we can’t do anything about it.”  My response was, “So, if I go back and get all you have, I can get them for a penny.”  She said, “Yes, you can.”  The cashier said, “Ain’t that a blessing.”  I smiled, went back and bought all the dish towels they had for a nickel, and I had “no dish-towel lack” for years!

I could tell many stories like that of the dish towels. I love it when I look at my life and say, “Ain’t that a blessing.”  I have seen God’s hand move in our behalf over and over and over. As a matter of fact,  for years we used to have a large “Manna Jar.”  In that jar were things like toy tires, or a picture of a dentist’s chair, and other replicas that had a story of the provision of God.  We would use that to talk about the supply of God.  It was a testimony to ourselves and others that God shows up in life when we desperately need Him.  We even kept a Manna Jar at our church, so the generations would have a memorial to this incredible God that we serve.

After forty-six years of serving God, I’ve known good financial times and bad financial times, but like David, I can testify, “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:25.

“Ain’t that a blessing!”

Her name is Melissa and I met her on Facebook through a mutual friend who lives in Georgia. Melissa and I were fifteen hundred miles apart; I was in the heart of Dixie in Alabama, and she was in the frigid city of Bangor, Maine. Our mutual friend, Ruby, was involved in a Facebook discussion on the topic of forgiveness, and Melissa commented along the line that there was no way was she forgiving the hurt that had been done to her! That was never going to happen!

We all got into a friendly discussion about forgiveness, and that in itself is miraculous – a friendly discussion on Facebook! I offered to send Melissa a CD where I had taught on forgiveness, so she sent me her address, and also a friend request. Eventually, I did learn that she listened to the CD, but I don’t recall that we ever discussed forgiveness again. Her hurt was deep, and was a major part of why her walk with God had become very shallow. Unresolved pain and unforgiveness has a way of messing with our God-walk.

Melissa and I did not really keep up with each other on Facebook, but I read her posts often. I felt drawn into the life of this woman I did not know; this woman who had hurt; this woman who was stuck in unforgiveness.

A surprising thing happened one day! Melissa messaged me and wanted my opinion on something. As I warn most people – I do try to give advice from a biblical perspective, which might or might not feel so good at the moment. I assumed I’d probably never hear from her again, but over time, I heard from Melissa many times.

“God, have you connected me with this woman that I don’t even know.” I knew the answer was yes.

One day I was contacted by the wife of a pastor in Bangor, Maine. Kim, the pastor’s wife, wanted to know if I could come for a ministry weekend in Bangor. There would be a women’s gathering on Saturday, and I would speak at a couple of churches on Sunday. Once the date was arranged, I remember smiling at the hand of God being at work. “God, I know you are setting up a divine appointment for me to meet Melissa. I know You are up to something.”

I contacted Melissa and asked her to come as my guest and she accepted. I was so happy! I knew God wanted to heal her everywhere it hurt. The conference in Bangor could not come fast enough! As I arrived at the airport that morning, I kissed my husband, and walked into the terminal. As I walked up to the counter to check-in, I was told that my flight had been delayed for two hours. Because of my connecting flight, I knew I’d be cutting it close, but I was sure God would get me to that conference in Bangor for many reasons, but one big reason was Melissa.

As the two-hour wait was about to end, I approached the desk again, and was informed: We cannot get you to Bangor until late Saturday night. WHAT! I am on a divine assignment. God is about to do something big. I rebuked it and I bound it, yet, I never left Birmingham to go to Bangor that weekend. God, how could this happen?

Melissa told me she was bummed that I wasn’t coming, but I encouraged her to go to the women’s day anyway. She did go, and she did enjoy it, but no real change seemed to manifest in her life. But..God was just getting started!

The next year I did go to Bangor as one of the speakers at a Women of the Word conference, and I encouraged Melissa to come. She agreed and even registered for the extra session, a Friday luncheon, where I would speak. As time approached she realized that she has missed the fact that the luncheon was on Friday. She was so disappointed because she had an important event at work that Friday, and would need to be there. “God, what is going on?” I prayed and asked God for a miracle, and He did it. Melissa was able to miss the event at work and attend our luncheon. When I walked into that room that day, I was looking for one woman – Melissa. I knew God had ordained this time. God was looking for her, too, and He began to work on her heart.

Melissa ended up attending the entire weekend of the conference, and speaker after speaker touched her heart, and God did amazing things. God absolutely changed Melissa’s life. I was speaking at a church that Sunday, and as tired as she was, Melissa made it to that service.

This Sunday, August 17, 2014, Melissa, will be baptized in that church she visited the Sunday I was in Bangor, Maine. She has told me that she loves God, loves that church, loves the worship, and that the pastor and his wife are real people who are the real deal. Melissa has joy in her voice and attitude now. She is no longer enslaved to unforgiveness. God has set her free!

Why have I taken you down this long journey?

I want us to be reminded once again that God is fully capable of putting the right people in our paths to bring us, and our loved ones to Him. His hand is not shortened that He cannot save. He can take messed up schedules and still work miracles. He can change things at work to fulfill divine moments that He has on His calendar. He can heal us where it hurts. He can restore our joy. He cares enough to send someone fifteen hundred miles on an airplane to meet a woman who is hurting. God is the arranger of all that needs arranging in order to change a life.

From Facebook to God’s book – don’t you just love it when God sets up divine appointments!

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

The words were stunning and shocking. The doctor, after much testing said to me, “Mrs. Benton, we are 99% sure you have ovarian cancer, and it has already spread to nearby lymph nodes. You will need surgery to remove all the disease, and by my side will be a surgical oncologist, who will check all the organs to see how much the disease has spread.”  That was nineteen years ago, and praise be to God, I am still here!  He still works miracles!

The Sunday after my surgery, I was not able to be in the church service. A friend of mine was so grateful for the miracle God had done in my body that she began to dance with the joy of the Lord. Others began to join in and celebration erupted in the house. Then, an unbelievable thing happened. One man looked with disdain upon the celebration, citing that my friend had never danced this way before, so why today?   He could not celebrate the great victory because he was too busy being a Pharisee – righteous enough to dance when he wanted, but eager to tell others why they shouldn’t or couldn’t!

Please don’t think my intention is to be hard on my fellow believer.  We all have some Pharisee in us, and when it shows its face, religion can get real ugly real fast.

“On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. (Luke 6:6-7)

Jesus showed up in church one day and saw a man with a withered hand. Jesus just can’t help being Jesus – filled with compassion and eager to heal. It was a beautiful thing Jesus did as he healed that man’s hand and set him free. What God did that day was incredible. Yet, in that same service, some of the “church” folks were watching, not to celebrate what was right, but to point out what was wrong.

It is so easy to sit in a church gathering looking for what we don’t like, or seething over the one thing we disagreed with in the sermon. In our minds, we can turn the beautiful things of God into something ugly real fast if we let the Pharisee take over.

Pharisees don’t seek to love and heal those around them, but to show them every little thing that is wrong with them. Pharisees could never enjoy the presence of Jesus because they were always trying to make sure every “i” was dotted and every “t” was crossed just right. If even one thing wasn’t like they thought it should be, church was over for them. How many times did they miss the presence of Jesus touching them because somebody offended them by the way they did something?  Pharisees loved the best seats. They wanted to be seen. How many times do we walk away from the things of God because no one noticed me, or no one spoke to me?

Beloved, the presence of Jesus is always where two are three are gathered in His name. He is there to touch us, cleanse us, renew us and empower us. Don’t miss out on what God is doing because you see someone who is not quite living up to your standards, or, you see a leader that has done you wrong, so no way are you rejoicing in that service!

The Pharisaical spirit is from Satan to keep us from entering into the life-changing work of the Spirit. That spirit is determined to kill the life of Christ in you. As a born-again, Spirit-filled child of God declare boldly, “Pharisaical spirit, get out of me. You will not rule my worship or my ability to enter into God this day!  You will not destroy me or hinder the work of God in my life, my family or in my church.”

How well I know that I must be careful about the Pharisee in me.

Let God arise and His enemies be scattered!

Grandchidren are just that – GRAND! Can I get an amen!

Gaylon and I are blessed with four grandchildren. Two live in the Birmingham area. One lives six hours to our west in Baton Rouge, LA, and one lives seven hours to our east in Hickory, NC.  In order to be a vital part of their lives, there is a whole lot of travel involved.

On the weekend of January 25, we made the trip to North Carolina to visit with Tucker and Sarah. Tucker is so much fun. He’s a vibrant, full-of-giggles kind of boy, who loves his papa. We had a blast. Our plan was to return to Birmingham on Tuesday, January 28. We were aware that a winter storm was predicted to hit parts of the south, so we kept an eye on the weather forecast.  As we went to bed on Monday night, the last thing I did was a final check on the weather.  At that time, the storm was predicted to give Atlanta a dusting in the afternoon, and Birmingham about the same. We were good to go!

Without checking the updated forecast, early Tuesday morning we departed North Carolina headed home.  By leaving very early, we were sure to arrive home before any ice or snow arrived, or at least accumulated on the roads. So, we set out on our journey.

When we were about thirty minutes from Atlanta, a few light snowflakes began to fall, and by the time we got to Interstate 285, snow and sleet were falling a little heavier. Traffic was already crawling about five miles an hour.  Though we did not like going so slow, we had no choice, and decided we would have to patiently take three hours to go around Atlanta. Long story short – that twenty-mile distance around Atlanta became a ten-hour trip. It was evident we were not getting home that night, and we were not sure we would even get off the interstate. People were abandoning cars; cars ran out of gas; vehicles were barely moving. Several hours earlier we had a friend prepay a hotel for us, so we would have someone to stay, but even getting to the hotel was questionable. Thank God we did get to our hotel about 10:30.  We were stuck in a rundown hotel for two days. On the third day, it was time for resurrection!  While it was still a bit icy, and would require careful travel, we got up with our minds set on moving forward.  We made a decision not to be stuck one more day!

It is one thing to get stuck in the winter weather, but quite another to get stuck in life.  The truth of the matter is that being stuck is the case for scores of people. Like the Israelites, too many of God’s children started out on a journey with Him, and now they are stuck in the wilderness, short of their promised land:

• Stuck in past failures
• Stuck in church hurt
• Stuck in grief
• Stuck in a lack of faith
• Just stuck

While God always loves us, God takes no pleasure in a derailed Christian who is has resigned themselves to living  sad, dejected, downcast and dispirited.  God’s call is for us to stop allowing outward things to prevent forward progress.  He wants us back on track with Him, full of the Holy Spirit, moving forward as a force for Jesus Christ.

God isn’t the Great I Was, but the Great I Am.  He desires for you and me to live in the present, not the past. God is calling us to press on with the Lord, in obedience and in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may never come, so all we have is today.  The Great I Am wants you to walk with Him today.  He wants to bless your life, and He has powerful work for you to do where you are planted. His plan is that you will be a living, vibrant child of God who reflects the Great I Am.

So, the next time someone’s words, life’s circumstances or huge disappointments threaten to get you stuck, remember who you are, whose you are and where you are headed. There isn’t a person or thing in your life that is worth your getting stuck, and missing the fullness of what God has in store.

You don’t have to be stuck one more day!

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” – Philippians 3:13

Two shopkeepers owned stores directly across the street from each other. Each spent his days tracking the other’s business, and gloating triumphantly each time a customer chose his store, instead of that of his competitor. Over time, they became bitter rivals. It no longer was a life of enjoying their business, but a life wishing to see their competitor destroyed.

One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers and said, “I’ll give you anything you request, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive double. Would you be rich? You can be very rich indeed, but he’ll be twice as wealthy. Do you desire a long and healthy life? Request it, but his life will be longer and healthier. What’s your desire?

The man thought for a moment, and with a sly grin, stated, “Strike me blind in one eye!”

Bitterness.

I can think of very little that damages a life and soul like a root of bitterness. Every one of us has been hurt by other people or by life circumstances. All too often we have wounds that fester inside of us. Do we sometimes have a right to be wounded and bitter?  I say yes.  Do we want to exercise that right?  A thousand times NO!  Bitterness is relentless and dangerous when allowed to take root in our hearts. It destroys one’s ability to make good decisions, and it compromises productive lives. Bitterness can destroy healthy relationships with people, and even with God.

Some might think that a preacher/teacher/speaker/writer, who is married to a wonderful husband, knows little about the hurts of life. “Barbara, how could you be tempted to live a life of bitterness?” Oh, I think all of us are tempted to become a convict in the prison of bitterness.

I’ve known the heartache of church wounds, cruel childhood abuse, miscarriage, and the death of a son. I could spend a lot of time enlarging my list for you to read, but that is not my purpose. My purpose is say that all of us are tempted to drink from the river of bitterness.

God offers the only alternative to bitterness, and that is forgiveness and trusting Him to handle those who have wronged us.   Joseph said it well in Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”  God can take that which was intended for evil, and slap the devil in the face with it! How could forgiving that awful person bring us any kind of peace?  It is a supernatural thing.  Once you’ve experienced the healing power of forgiveness, you will understand.

We have a hard time with forgiveness because we are unclear about it. Think about this:

• Forgiveness does not mean we justify what the other person did.
• Forgiveness does not always mean the relationship will be the same as before.
• Forgiveness is not the same as trust.
• Is forgiveness difficult?  It can be.
• Do we still need to forgive because God instructs us to do so?  Yes.
• Are we set free as a result of forgiving? Yes, yes, yes!

I read an interesting story about a man who was describing his mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease. One paragraph in particular jumped out at me:

“My mother used to be a bitter woman,” Tim explained. “But then she got Alzheimer’s disease and forgot what she was so bitter about. She actually became a very pleasant person to be around.”  Oh that we would forget while we are still well enough to enjoy the freedom!

Ponder that thought: Oh, that we would forget while we are still well enough to enjoy the freedom! Take off those convict clothes, and put on a garment of praise. Whom the Son has set free, is free indeed!  It’s time to change clothes.

“Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” – Hebrews 12:15

Recently I attended a small group with about a dozen people. This was not a church group nor a group filled with Christians. Each person was asked to share their thoughts about the subject of the day. When my turn came, I was just myself, and stated that my success in the area being discussed, was based on my relationship with God and His word. I went on to say that regardless of the “success” I had experienced, the past weaknesses in my life try to revisit me, and it was only through prayer and God’s principles that I continued to walk successfully. They were accepting of what I said and moved on to the next person.

When the group concluded, a woman made a beeline to get to me. She wanted to talk to me about my spiritual experiences, and about hers. What she really wanted to know was if I could tell her some easy way to have the overcoming power of God in her life. She said I don’t really want to have to read the Bible and pray every day, I am a busy person, and “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

My response was and still is, “You cannot live a victorious Christian life without time devoted to God.” Getting saved at a church service or even at a McDonald’s is only the beginning. That does not equate to victory forever.  Calling one’s self a Christian does not equate to victorious living.  Being in the best church on the planet does not make one an over-comer.

When the United States invaded Iraq, one of the things that occurred was the tearing down of a statue of Saddam Hussein. After the toppling of the statue, some thought  the war had been won!  It’s over!  Not really, they had only won a battle. Still to this day the influence of Hussein resurrects its head to try to take back territory.

As believers, we do have the victory, but it does require fighting battles on a regular basis. A one-time salvation prayer does not bring victory in all battles of life. The statue of Satan that had set itself up in our hearts, was pulled down the moment we surrendered our lives to Christ Jesus, but at that moment, the war to take back our lives began. The war to steal, kill and destroy God’s plan is being waged against us.

It is impossible to walk a victorious Christian life without being empowered from on high. If an easy way means: I want the power of God, just by sleeping and waking up and it’s there, no one will ever be powerful.  This only causes us to walk defeated, when victory is ours because of Calvary, and I say, “Ain’t nobody got time for THAT!”

“Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.” – Ephesians 6:13;  “Victory comes from you, O LORD. May your blessings rest on your people.” – Psalm 3:8

Mr. and Mrs. Benton, you have termites! My heart sank to my feet recently, as the pest control guy spoke those words to us. Dollar signs flashed before my eyes.

The front of our home has a huge window that measures about ten feet by seven feet, and has a large ledge at the bottom. The area gets morning sun, and from time to time, insects like to sunbathe there. As a result, I check the area at least a couple of times per week to see if any critters are making it home. I refuse to share my home with critters!

One morning as I looked at the ledge, I saw about a hundred little wings in several piles, and a few bodies. Surely those can’t be termites! We used to have the yearly contract on our house to insure termites could not take up residence, but we had allowed it to lapse.  I took a picture of the insects and sent it to a neighbor who owns a pest control company. Within minutes he informed me that we had termites, and he would need to come inspect our house to see how bad the infestation was and how much damage had been done.

Termites tend to move in during the stormy, rainy season.  While homeowners move routinely about life, these pests find a vulnerable, subterranean entry and, if unchecked, will virtually destroy a building.  Termites love to do their work in the dark. Seldom, if ever, will you see them, yet they quietly eat away, until one day the beams can cave in, and the house is destroyed.

Alan checked our whole house, and then gave us the verdict. “Fortunately, you have kept your eye on this area, and caught it before the destruction could spread. We will destroy the termites before they can destroy your home.”

Termites have to be evicted or they will destroy the place they inhabit.

As believers we must be careful of spiritual termites. They try to take up residence in the hidden place of the heart, especially during rainy, stormy seasons of life. These pests invade us from the inside, take up residence and eat away, destroying our faith, hope and joy.

Make no mistake about it; our spiritual lives are vulnerable to “termites.” It is essential that we are aware of the things that desire residency in our spiritual house – things like unresolved anger and hatred, hanging on to the past, lying, immorality, faithlessness, prayerlessness,  spiritual apathy, sowing of discord and a host of others. We must be alert to that which tries to take up residence in our lives.

Thank God I did regular inspections on that window area. Because of that, I saw something that did not belong there, and destroyed it before it destroyed us. Canisters are now all around our home to ensure that we have victory over the termites. Today, we are termite free!

God’s people have His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit to destroy the things that try to destroy us. Through His power, we have victory over the things that will destroy us, but we must deal with things quickly.  Declare this over your life. “Satan, I refuse to share my temple with critters.  Every evil insect that you send to take up residence in me, is destroyed by the Holy Spirit right now! It has no place in me. I am termite free!”

My grandmother was a woman who was gripped by fear, and it literally controlled her life.   Granny was afraid to stay alone at night, so her mother, my great grandmother, would walk next door each night carrying her pillow and blanket to stay with Granny.  After my great grandmother passed away, Granny was fearful of staying alone.  Since we lived a block away, she asked my parents to let me stay with her at night.  So, every night for many months, I would walk through the field to my grandmother’s house so she would not be alone.

Interesting things happened while staying with Granny at night.  She had a shotgun style house, which means if you walked in the front door, you could see from the front door to the back door.   The front room was the living room, and the fourth room was the kitchen. Between those two rooms were two bedrooms.

My grandmother made me sleep in the room with her. Since the house was shotgun style, there were two doors to the room.  At night, Granny would close those two doors, and triple bolt them with locks my uncle had installed for her. The room had two windows. My grandmother would close the windows, lock the windows and brace them with a board so they could not be raised.  She was petrified that someone would try to break-in.   Each night, a “slop” jar was placed in the room in case one of us needed to use the potty.   No one could leave the room during the night.  Think how a hot southern, summer night with no air and a stinky potty was!

Every time Granny would hear the slightest sound, she would awaken me to hear the sound.  She would then tell me that someone was outside trying to get in, and we had to sit on the side of the bed until we no longer heard the noise.  She would, at times, shout out, “I’m going to get my gun.”  So there I sat, as a ten-year-old child petrified.

If a thunderstorm came up during the night, my grandmother would awaken me, make me get out of bed and get fully dressed.  She said we had to be ready in case lightning struck the house. So, this sleepy child would get dressed and sit in fear, hoping the storm would pass by without killing us.

One last story from life with Granny.  When I would get to her house at night, she would tell me I was filthy, even though I had taken a bath before leaving home.  She had me strip naked, get in her tub, and she would proceed to wash me from head to toe, using a stiff scrub brush.  She often told me I was not clean.  So for years, I walked around with my skin half scrubbed off, fearing I was an unclean person.

Before you think badly of Granny, let me say that Granny was a sweet person.  Her issue was that she was consumed by fear, and it paralyzed her from having a normal emotional life.

For many years, even into my married years, I was paralyzed by fear.  I was afraid of being alone when my husband was gone, petrified of thunderstorms and obsessed with cleanliness.  My grandmother lived in a house of fear, and built one for me.

There came a point in my walk with God, that He revealed to me that I was paralyzed by fear.  I was afraid of dying at a young age, afraid of storms, afraid of an attack, afraid of not having enough money, afraid of speaking in front of others – afraid, afraid, afraid!

I was reading the scripture in Matthew chapter 6 where Jesus said, “Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest because your heavenly Father feeds (takes care of) them.”   I had to chuckle at that verse.  Have you ever seen a bird having a nervous breakdown?  They don’t worry because they trust God to provide. That same passage of scripture lets us know that God thinks we are far more valuable to Him than the birds.  In other words, I am the apple of God’s eye, and He can be trusted to take care of me in every situation.

What is the answer for paralyzing fear?   “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

It’s been said, “Why worry when you can pray?”  What a great question!  When you are afraid, you have choices.  You can lie in bed and agonize, you can try to work out your problems in your own power … or you can pray.  I have found that option number three brings such peace and courage to my soul.

What fear do you need to be free of today?  Child of God, it’s time to be free.  Second Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.”  My prayer for you today is that you will be released from the house of fear, with its bolted doors. It has held you captive far too long.  Whatever fear you are facing, God is greater.  Put your trust in the one who is greater.

There are occasions that Satan tries to beckon me to once again take up residency in the house of fear.  No thank you! I don’t live there anymore because the Lord Most High is now my dwelling place.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

As we pulled out of the parking lot of the strip mall, Gaylon and I were excited to head to the celebration of Tucker’s second birthday.  We had barely gone a block, when my car stalled right in the middle of the road.  Several warning lights came on, and the car choked when I tried to start it again.  My husband got into the driver’s seat and was able to drive the car, but at a snail’s pace.

Eventually Gaylon figured out what the problem was, but wanted to get the car back to Alabama to have it fixed. That would be another forty-eight hours.  We discovered that if we started off driving very slowly, and never went too fast, the car could be driven.

As we drove the hilly roads of North Carolina, we were much slower than other cars.  People blew their horns, passed us angrily and we were even given the middle finger of fellowship.  Finally, we decided to drive with our flashing lights on until we could build up speed, and until we could correct the situation. Our warning lights were trying to say, “There is more going on here than meets your eye.”  People jumped to conclusions that we didn’t know how to drive, or two old people on the road or … whatever.  How quickly people judged us without knowing all the details.

How many times do we find ourselves jumping to conclusions about others without knowing all the details?  We often make judgments based on how things appear, yet there is a very good chance that there are details we do not know.

There is no way that we can know the motives of another, nor can we know all the circumstances surrounding things we see.  More often than not, what we think we know, we really don’t.  As we walk through life with others, before we “go-off” on someone, blowing our horns angrily, and spewing our opinions, let’s remember that only God is all-knowing.  Contrary to what we might think, jumping to conclusions is not a beneficial form of exercise.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:18

Gone at the age of 36.   He was in the prime of his life and about to become a father for the first time, but never got to meet his son.  The first few months after the death of our son Bryan were brutal.  There is no way to accurately describe the emotions and pain.

Like it or not, after a loved one dies, we have to keep moving.  I don’t mean that we will forget the person or the pain – trust me, you wish you could lose the sickening pain, but we have to keep living.  Part of that living is taking care of business.  After a death, one has to immediately be concerned about business matters.  It’s just part of the process.  As a mother, while I grieved deeply for my son, my attention was more drawn to his wife and unborn child.  We wanted to do everything we possibly could to help them with life, which meant lots of prayer, and assisting any way possible.

Bryan and Sarah had purchased a boat the summer before his home-going, and it needed to be sold.  People worked together to clean up the boat and get it ready for sale, and then to list it in several places.  I thought, surely because we serve God, it will sell by tomorrow afternoon. Not!  So we waited, and waited, and then guess what, we waited!

Sarah was having a baby shower in Virginia, and Gaylon and I were to attend.  As time grew a little closer, my husband realized he had a schedule conflict.   Gaylon was to perform a wedding for someone who worked with the company where he is chaplain. There was no way to change the wedding, and no way for Gaylon to accompany me to Virginia.  With tears streaming, I asked God, “Can’t you do something about this? Where are you during this pain? Can’t you keep these plans from getting so messed up?”  End of story.

That is the true story … but wait … let’s get the rest of the story.

That spring weekend, I drove to the shower, and Gaylon stayed behind to officiate the wedding.  While at the rehearsal, my husband was talking with someone, and they mentioned that they were looking for a boat.  Gaylon began to tell them the story of Bryan, and the boat that Sarah needed to sell – a boat that was five-hundred miles away.   As they continued talking, the person stated they wanted to buy the boat.

Gaylon called to tell me the good news, and this “faith-filled” woman of God said, “That man is not going to drive to North Carolina to get a boat that he has never laid eyes on.  I will believe it when I see it.”  (Just call me doubting Thomasina!)  In less than a month, the boat was sold and on its way from North Carolina to Alabama.

My problem was that I immediately put “THE END” on the story of an unsold boat and messed up plans.   I could not see God working in my messed up plans, but God was positioning us to receive the miraculous selling of a boat.  God was still writing the story.

God is the author of “the rest of the story.”  God has the wonderful ability of messing up our plans to position us for a divine answer.  Perhaps you are asking, “Where is God?”  I asked the same question.  The answer for me was, “I am at a wedding in Alabama working on your behalf.”

When you think your plans are messed up, it might be that God messed them up so He could write the last chapter.   Just wait … the rest of the story is being written, and it will be a much better “THE END” than the way you would write it.

“Since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!” – Isaiah 64:4