One Sunday morning years ago our Bible study teacher, Andy, gave each of us a pencil and a piece of paper with a large grid—4 squares across, 4 squares down. One square at a time but out of order, he guided us to draw various sized curves in various positions.
Sometimes he instructed us to revisit a square and add more detail.
The bits and pieces made no sense—just haphazard strokes accomplishing nothing–until the last few curves remained, and Andy told us to rotate our papers bottom side up.
Each of us was constructing a very recognizable Mickey Mouse.
And you can probably guess Andy’s objective:
God does indeed know what he’s doing, even when events seem random to us. Sometimes he reveals the reasons for nonsensical curves in our lives, as purposeful outcomes finally sharpen into focus.
Such was the case with Joseph in the Bible. The violent curves of his life story finally made sense when he became prime minister of Egypt.
To his brothers who had terribly mistreated him he said,
Quite often, however, God chooses to withhold explanation.
I have to wonder if he’s waiting until all his children are gathered together in heaven and then he’ll reveal the complete, awe-inspiring panorama of intricately wrought events, involving billions of lives over eons of time.
Andy Andrews, in his delightful children’s book, The Boy Who Changed the World, offers a glimpse of this panorama, as he tells the story of a farm manager named Moses and his wife Susan who raised an orphaned boy. Together they shared their love of plants with the child. That boy was George Washington Carver.
In addition to his many scientific achievements, George provided an important influence for a young boy named Henry, teaching him all about plants. Henry Wallace grew up to become the U.S. secretary of agriculture and then vice president of the United States.
Henry hired a young biochemist named Norman and instructed him to develop a high-yielding, disease-resisting wheat. Norman spent twenty years in laboratory and field research to achieve the objective. He also developed superior corn and rice.
More than two billion lives have been saved because of Norman Borlaug–and Henry Wallace who impacted Norman, and George Washington Carver who influenced Henry, and Moses Carver who inspired George.
Who else but God could have directed such events, connecting one life with another to create such epic results?
We, too, have the exciting privilege to participate with God. There are grand possibilities in every encounter–to impact our corners of the world as Jesus’ agents, speaking on his behalf, acting in his name, and drawing people to him.
And at those times when the effort doesn’t seem to accomplish much, we can remember:
- 1. “God does some of his best work when we don’t think he’s doing a thing” (Priscilla Shirer, The Kingdom Woman Devotional, emphasis added), and
- 2. God’s work in us and through us isn’t over until we’ve completed the last curve.
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Father, I want to be a person who seizes the day under your instruction, who chooses to honor you in word and action. I want to be a participant in what you’re accomplishing, not just an observer. May I be faithful to follow your lead, knowing that in the end the results will be gloriously worth it.
(Art & photo credits: Nancy Ruegg (4); http://www.canva.com; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.wikimedia.com (2); http://www.sunraybook.com)
From the Inside Out 