Just for fun, I pulled my God Is Faithful journal off the shelf and flipped the pages to several decades ago—years when Steve served in the pastorate, our three children still lived at home, and I was a stay-at-home mom, then teacher.
God certainly worked behind the scenes for our family and created magnificent poetry. Here are a few examples:
THE POETRY OF ANSWERED PRAYER
11-11-85 I prayed with N. concerning a worrisome visit with her disagreeable aunt that afternoon. The next day N. told me the visit went beautifully. No doubt God not only worked through N., but prepared her aunt’s heart also.
9-27-89 I’d been praying God would affirm Steve during a difficult season. On this date he received a kind and supportive note from a parishioner.
11-7-89 The books my students had ordered from Scholastic Books were long past due for arrival. I’d forgotten to xerox the order form and checks before sending them snail mail, and now had no proof-of-purchase. (This was before online ordering.)
That night I prayed for God to intervene for me. When I arrived at school the next morning, there was the book-order box on my desk.
THE POETRY OF GOD’S FAVOR
6-18-86 A man came to our door with my wallet in his hand. He’d found it on the sidewalk several blocks away, where I’d somehow dropped it while returning home from an errand. (I’d walked in order to incorporate exercise into the day.)
I hadn’t even realized yet my wallet was missing!
1-13-88 I didn’t set the alarm properly, but awoke anyway the next morning—out of a sound sleep—at 5:15 on the dot, just when I was supposed to get up.
12-26-92 During our family Christmas Brunch (just the five of us—no visiting family), Steve asked the children what God had done for them in 1992.
E. said God had helped him become more focused and motivated at school. H. said he’d helped her feel better about herself and she’d been happier since the mission trip that summer. J. said he was thankful to go to a good school.
We enjoyed a great time of family togetherness, focusing on God and his participation in our lives.
THE POETRY OF GOD’S INTERVENTION
3 -25-88 I made it to Spring Break! In spite of 1,000 things to do in an impossible time frame, God brought me through. Actually, what He did was remove about 900 of those tasks!
I couldn’t believe how one thing after another took care of itself or was postponed. God worked out everything superbly.
6-1-89 I drove H. to ballet class in Steve’s new stick-shift Colt, so pleased that muscle-memory kicked in and we arrived with no mishaps or “frogging.” But after parking the car, I mistakenly left it in neutral.
When I came out of the school the car was not where I’d left it, but had rolled across the aisle into the matching spot on the other side, as if I’d parked there instead.
(Sometimes I feel like such a toddler in God’s family—he has to watch over me every minute!)
10-9-90 A contentious issue in our church came to a vote. We heard rumblings that some unhappy people were urging a “no” vote. But the discussion proceeded smoothly with a prevailing spirit of unity, and in the end a strong majority voted “yes.”
God had worked in people’s hearts; Steve felt as though we’d turned a corner.
5-29-92 I was registered to attend a week-long class, held at a hotel. When I arrived the desk clerk said the class had been canceled. Just then, another attendee, Ruth, approached the desk. We deliberated about what to do.
Though it was early evening on a Friday and the offices of the host school would likely be closed, we decided to call anyway.
A woman just happened to be there who told us the location had been changed to another hotel. Ruth and I were among those who’d registered early, before the change, and somehow had never been notified.
* * *
God’s sacred hands do indeed weave poetry into our lives! And . . .
You’ve no doubt experienced episodes of God’s goodness similar to those described above. Please share an example in the comments below.
Your illustration of God-woven poetry may be just what someone else needs to read!
Image credits: http://www.commons.wikimedia.org; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.pickpik; http://www.canva.com (2); http://www.needpix.com.
Do sign up below for the monthly newsletter that includes a THANK YOU GIFT: Thirty ways to stretch and enhance our gratitude to God.
Scroll to the end of the newsletter to access this resource!
From the Inside Out 