God, Why Did You Hide My Keys?

I lost a set of keys on a Monday a few weeks ago.  Most of the keys on the ring I could live without for a few days, but one was the master key for the apartment complex I had been doing remodeling work for, and it’s really inconhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Keys_with_pink_background.JPG/320px-Keys_with_pink_background.JPGvenient to find someone with a key every time you need access to a unit.

By Friday, I gave up hope of the keys magically appearing and asked another contractor to get me a new master.  I got a call from him a few minutes later asking me to come outside, where he was standing across the street.  As it turns out, as he was walking through the grass on his way to make my key he stepped on something in the grass:  my keys.

I’ve been thinking about the extent of God’s involvement in the little things in our lives.  There are some who say that none of the times we have found to be great learning experiences were at all orchestrated by God.  And there are others than consider every little thing to be part of a “God-lesson”.

Pro 3:5, 6  Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

So, did God hide my keys?  Did he let that particular keyring fall away from the rest of them, to be found 5 days later, to teach us some grand new thing that we would soon be using on the Mission Field?  Or was the act of the other contractor stepping on them and finding them at such an opportune time meant to be a turning-point in his walk with the Lord?  For the most part, I think it was just a matter of physics, I pulled my keys out of my pocket and this keyring detached from the others and just fell to the ground as a function of gravity.

I thanked God when they were found, and I expect He was involved.  Whether the guy’s steps were guided to land on the keys or not doesn’t really matter.  Nothing grand, but God used it to remind me that He’s involved even in the little things.  It’s also what prompted me to write about God working in our lives.

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I had just walked across the apartment complex to get some tools, and realized as soon as I returned that I had forgotten one.  Ug.  As I headed back to get it, I started to wonder again about how much God is involved in the little things.  Then I began to wonder who I might run in to or just why God wanted me to make a second trip.  As I was walking, I was watching for an opportunity, still wondering if God had a plan in this second trip.

The trip was uneventful, but it hit me that it should always be like this:  Every time my feet hit the floor, every time my fingers hit the keyboard, every time I pick up the phone, I need to be a witness, to remember I’m an ambassador.  I need to pay attention to everything and everyone that I come in contact with.  Most everybody is in need of something, whether it’s prayer, comfort, or to be introduced to Jesus.

I Peter 3:15  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

I’ll choose to give God credit, to err on the side of caution and when the good stuff happens, thank Him.  Whether it’s airline tickets that are about half-priced for the only couple of days Kelly (the missionary in the Transkei) was available to meet with us in Denver when he was in the states, the miracle of found keys, or even just a beautiful day to remind me that God does good things for us.

Still, Small Voice, part II

I just wanted to add a little follow-up to my last post.  Considering the options, I’ll attribute this to God’s sense of humor.

Like I said in the post, God’s audible voice is distinctly different that the other dozen or so voices rattling around inside my head.  Last week while working, I was considering calling somebody and asking him for some help in a situation I was in — I had actually just gotten off the phone with the guy, and my question would’ve been an appropriate response to his call, but I had hung up the phone with the attitude of placing the situation in God’s more-than-capable hands.

As I was considering “helping” God in the situation, I heard a voice say “call him”.  I looked up at God and chuckled a little as I responded in my head, “God, that was my voice”

I tried to get serious, to talk to God and lay out my petition before Him, and I heard the voice, deeper this time, “just call him”.  This time, I laughed out loud, and responded out loud, “God, that’s still my voice, only deeper!”

Does my subconscious think I’m that stupid?  Have I given it reason to think I’m that dull?  Probably!  One of my prayers of late has been for God to bind my Spirit with His, to soften mine so that I don’t miss any of His promptings.  He sent His Spirit as a Comforter, Counselor, Truth-revealer.  I want to take absolute advantage of everything God’s offered, in order that I might better serve Him in all the ways that He demands.