The other day a friend told me “what a lousy time for an accident,” and I
replied “what time is?” How many of us have said that, when an unplanned
accident occurs? Of course if it were planned, it wouldn’t be an accident,
would it? Yet so many times things interrupt our day, change our plans, and we
need to make a decision of what do we do now? They can range from a major
catastrophe to a flat tire to running out of gas. And looking back, after the
fact, utter the other famous words “if I had known what was going to happen,
would have gone another way.” Seems we have this 20/20 hindsight thing down,
well sorta.....
Sometimes we are the victor, sometimes the victim. Leaving Orange County
Triumph, a newbie on his new Bonneville sat revving his engine next to us.
Proud of his new ride of 500 feet, as the light turned red, he stalled, and
coasted to a stop. I pulled up next to him, turned on his petcock and rode off.
From pride to fear to relief, all within a few seconds. Another time, and many
times, I have been the victim, like riding across western Oklahoma laying on the
tank of my 650 Honda, after thinking I can make it to the next town, then
finding the next town five miles further than my gas tank would go. Riding flat
out at 40, I must have been a sight, but I made it, now I fill up often, and
before I run out. Sometimes. We had just come across the Carrizzo Plain on a
press bike, a 2013 Triumph Explorer. Expecting to find gas in New Cuyama, the
station was closed, it was 65 miles to Santa Maria, and the miles to empty light
said 50. Setting the cruise at 60, then 55, then 50, we almost made it, pushing
the last 100 feet to a station, 6 months after my open heart surgery. But we
made it, and since then, every time I have passed the station, it has been
open. Except that one day...
Laying in cardiac critical care after my open heart surgery, I still hadn’t
been out of bed to walk. I had seen many patients come and go, the latest was
dying in the room next to me. Christopher had ministered and calmed his wife,
but we felt the pain as we heard them trying to revive him. Then the cries and
wails of pain, he died. Looking at each other, Theresa and I said “that could
have been us.” And it almost was. But what to the unsaved may be coincidence,
good or bad luck, karma, or dodging a bullet, we know as God’s will. Devine
intervention, for he truly has everything under control. He knows how far you
can go on a tank, if he petcock is on, when to fill up, and if a station is open
or closed. Also our time to die...a time no one but he knows. So the choices
we make in between birth, the other day we day no say in, are important. How
many of us wait to pray until it is too late, wondering where God was the whole
time? When he was there all the time, in full control, if only we were
listening.
I asked a pastor one day “when Jesus told Lazarus to come forth, who were
the other three?” A play on words, he finally got it, do we? Remember he was
chastised by Lazarus’ sister, “if you had been here Jesus, he would not have
died.” But Jesus was trying to show her something more important,
resurrection. In her anger and concern for her brother, she lost faith in
Jesus, but I am sure regained it when he walked out, coming forth. No word on
the other three. We get to read it and chastise her, “I would never act like
that,” right before we do, and again 20/20 hindsight. If only we trusted him as
much as we say we do.
But God allows trials and tests in our lives to remind us of his love. To
know to turn to him in our times of trouble, and seek him before, to avoid or be
prepared. I have come as close to death as you can come without dying, and I am
excited to go home to heaven. I have seen God’s glory, and know the whole heart
ordeal was to open my eyes to his greatness, and prepare me for ministry. Life
was much different when I did hospital ministry, than when I needed it. I have
seen both sides of Jesus in it, and know, in fact never doubted the whole
episode was all about Jesus. I have been one of the three that God called
forth, I look forward to meeting Lazarus and the other two. I was sick, and
didn’t know how bad, God did, and had everything prepared for us, again looking
back, but in the midst, we saw him in action, and woke up every morning excited
to see what he would do for us that day. Just like Martha and Mary did with
Jesus, right? Just like we do.....
I love to hear testimonies of how God took people through a crisis. It
builds my faith, reminds me how he has everything under control, and how much I
need and love him. Maybe as simple as stopping within inches of the car ahead
of you, or him stopping within inches of you. But what of the accidents, the
trips to the hospital, the bad choices we make and suffer the consequences? All
known to God, for nothing takes him by surprise, so let me leave you with this
encouragement. Isaiah 65:24, “before they call I will answer, while the are
still speaking I will hear.” Before it happened, God knew. Before you prayed,
he had the plan in action. After a pastor shared this with Theresa, I looked at
my situation differently. And pray much differently, too. I trust him more
than ever, and when asking him “why was it so important that so many prayed for
me? his answer was simple. So he could show his greatness in the result. That
is love, a great love that in the midst of knowing what was to come, sent Jesus
voluntarily to the cross anyway. He never doubted, love never fails. So when
he called to Lazarus to come forth, remember the other three, but always think
of Jesus first. If we ask Jesus to come first, will he ask us to come forth?
Just like he does for us.....
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com