A Sign from God

Some of the things we Christians do just crack me up. Like most people who think they are funny, I just crack me up.

 

 But we Christian, with the best of intentions and the straightest of faces, do some of the silliest and funniest things. Because we are so serious about our faith, we, generally, don’t appreciate having our silliness pointed out. If you are one of those people, you might want to stop reading now. Seriously, stop.

 

 Our belief system certainly powerfully impacts our worldview. People of faith (And since I am one I think they are correct.) see many happenings in our lives as proof of God’s presence, provision and leading. On the other hand, people committed to not believing in God (And many are deeply committed to that position.) wouldn’t see God at work if He smacked them upside the head; which I think He occasionally does. But enough of that, I am making fun of us, not them. We Christians seem to see God everywhere. And sometimes we probably give God credit where credit isn’t really due and blame when He is not to blame.

 

Over the years I have had hundreds of church members explain in detail how God has spoken to them. For some odd reason, most of these “God hearers” have been female. Either God doesn’t talk to men much, or we are not listening, or God does talk to us but we won’t admit hearing God to others. The other consistent thread running through these reports is that in a vast majority of the cases reported, God told the “God hearer” to do what they had already made up their minds to do. Which means; they were already deftly attuned to God; or God is an amazingly agreeable God; or they weren’t really hearing God and had confused their voice in their head with the voice of God. You take your pick. If you know me, you know which one I choose.

 

We Christians also tend to interpret events in our lives as God’s leading. Again, I think this is possible and happens all the time. But I am also inclined to think we blame lots of things on God that He had very little to do with. We make bad choices and call the results God’s will. We manipulate people and circumstances and call that God’s leading. I like to believe God is leading me and I am doing His will. Honestly, I am doing the best I can to stay on track with God. I know me well enough to remain pretty sure I may be screwing things up on a regular basis. Perhaps I have unknowingly screwed the whole deal up. But it isn’t from lack of trying.

 

I say all of that to tell you that this morning I ran out of both shampoo and toothpaste. At the same time. Really. Isn’t that amazing? I am taking that as a sign from God that it is time for me to leave Burlington, Iowa, and move back home to Ohio. That and the fact that my employment termination date with the church here is September 30.  What do you think? It's a God-thing. Right?

 

Copyright © 2012, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved