Half the things we worry about never happen. Then, some things happen unexpectedly in our lives that give us pause as we see how the hand of God went before us.
On the way to school one morning, Eva asked many “What if” questions, to which I responded, “It seems like you are borrowing a lot of unnecessary trouble.”
Toting Charlotte in the car seat carrier when she was six months old, Chuck slipped on the slick garage cement floor. The car seat went sailing one way, and Chuck fell the other. Eva and I watched helplessly as the car seat bounced on its side and then upright. I screamed, “Charlotte!” Stepping over Chuck, I dashed to Charlotte, who looked up at me as if nothing happened. Chuck forgave me later for completely ignoring his fall. Charlotte was held fast inside the seat without a scratch or a bump. Later, Chuck and I talked about how many times I had left the car seat in the truck and carried Charlotte inside the house without it. Only, this time, I had brought the car seat inside because she had fallen asleep. Without that minor detail, Charlotte would have been in his arms when he slipped. I love it when we slip God never does.
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Watching the kids play outside, Chuck and I leaned up against our old pickup truck, talking. Eva and Charlotte were rolling down the hill as fast as they could. We all were enjoying a beautiful spring day. Typically, Chuck is busy with outside work, and I am steady in the landscape. Except this time we were both watching. We saw the fall and heard the screams. Red ants covered her in a matter of seconds – thousands of them. One week before, Charlotte had been bitten twice by a red ant and had an allergic reaction that needed to be seen by her doctor. Her doctor commented in her way, “Not that we want to borrow trouble, but I am going to prescribe an Epi-pen to you.” As we tore off her clothes and dosed her with Benadryl, I was never more grateful for the forethought of an Epi-pen that we would “never need.”
“If you want to know what’s in your heart, listen to your mouth; it is very revealing. Most of the time, it’s too revealing for comfort.”
Gloria Copeland
The purchase of our new home seemed daunting at the time. Every house that was perfect for us was snatched out from underneath us. We sat in limbo for several weeks. Frustration outweighed my faith and was showing up in my mouth. Instead of speaking God’s promises over our situation, I talked doubt and unbelief. But what else was there? We needed answers and a location, but all we had were empty ideas. Still, we had a dream for our family, and the big city was not it. Time was ticking, yet nothing was changing. Then, one day, there it was, better than all the other places combined, and it perfectly met our family’s needs and desires.
It wasn’t just a house we sought, but a home, a town, and roots to grow. How is that possible in an unforeseen area we knew nothing about? Only God can orchestrate a puzzle like that. And He did it flawlessly. Some pearls that God has added have only begun to be polished. We would have missed the gems if we had taken any other place.
I stayed awake all night to watch him breathe. He was here. Pivotal moments outlined the safe delivery of little Charles Tyson; more than I can list in this short story. But one moment stood out above them all. I had gone into the ER for minor discomfort that had continued longer than comfort would allow. An hour from our home left the doctor unsure about the situation.
Before the doctor was about to release me, she turned around from the door and said, “I just can’t get a good feeling about this. I have to go get a second opinion.” The second opinion and wisdom of the doctors saved Tyson’s life and possibly my own as well. In a matter of hours, what started as a minor irritation turned fatal. But God was already ahead of me. Be assured the prayers of the faithful reach the ears of God, and He goes to work on our behalf.
In those pressing last minutes before surgery, I called my mom to quickly update her. She couldn’t get to me as fast as things were unraveling, but that was ok, her faith pulled me up no matter the distance. I was scared, however, I could hear her smile on the phone as she spoke, “I can see His guiding hand all over this situation. We will not walk in fear but in peace. God has put you right where you needed to be.”
About a week after we came home from the hospital, I found myself making my own “What if” statements to Chuck. He matter-of-factly looked at me and said, “Stop. You and Tyson came home, and that’s all I needed.”
Pivotal moments are in everyone’s life. They come disguised as “casual conversations,” “chance meetings,” and “being in the right place at the right time.” In reality, God shows up – right on time. Don’t borrow trouble when God has already purchased peace.
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34
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