I think I first saw the email some time Thursday afternoon, too late for me to deal with it that day. That night I was driving to Houghton Lake with Joel. We would rake leaves on Friday, prepare the cottage for the winter on Saturday morning, and then return home in the afternoon. And, of course, I did not want to bother people on Saturday night or Sunday. So, on Thursday I simply sent a quick reply with the offer a partial solution.
The request was for me, as Circuit Visitor, to install a pastor at a local congregation on this coming Sunday morning. I knew the congregation had two services on Sundays, and that I had a previous commitment elsewhere for the second service time. Then, over the weekend, I discovered they also have one on Saturday evenings, and, again, I had a previous commitment that conflicted. So, Friday through Sunday I prayed … no, let me be more honest, I stewed and prayed about the situation: Should I make some adjustments to my previous commitments and do the installation or leave the congregation in the lurch (and leaving them in the lurch was not really an option)?
Monday was a day of many emails between me, the District Office, and others gaining details, exploring options, and seeking a solution. Sometime either Monday or Tuesday I discovered that one individual involved was actually on vacation in Gatlinburg. Tuesday morning came and the pressure was on to resolve the issue. I was all set to cover all three services and let my previous commitments know that I would be arriving late on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, when I received a text from Gatlinburg stating, “I would be honored to cover all three.”
Relieved, I quickly let all parties know that the issue was resolved. A few minutes later I discovered that the Saturday service had been previously cancelled for the week … and that the congregation had already been in contact with “Gatlinburg” finalizing the arrangements. My initial reaction was to wonder why God did not solve the whole issue right away on Thursday? Why did he let me stew (and pray) about it all the way into Tuesday? Now, as I write about it, the song “In His Time” comes to mind: God makes all things beautiful in his time.
Wednesday morning’s reading reinforced the reality. First we read, “According to the eternal purpose that (God) has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” (Ephesians 3.11-12) The discussion centered upon how we are invited (encouraged) to bring all of our requests to God with “boldness and confidence”. Of course, the initial reaction is that when we pray to God with “boldness and confidence” the answers should be prompt and just what we were looking for.
But then the very next verse states, “So I ask you to not lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.” (Ephesians 3.13) The obvious conclusion is that, even when we pray with “boldness and confidence”, God’s answers are not always “prompt or what we are looking for.” Instead they come according to God’s perfect timing and “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3.20) Which, of course, calls for another adjustment in me – trusting not only God’s timing, but also that that his answer, even when I don’t like it, is filled with love and mercy “far more abundantly than all that I have asked or thought.”
Where does this all leave us? How about giving glory to God as we “boldly and confidently” bring all of our thoughts to him knowing that he seeks to also give us the “power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love surpasses (our) knowledge.” (Ephesians 3.18-19) Which actually takes us all the way to today’s very top line – “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3.20-21)
And, after all of this, Monica and I will be on time for the ministry/social commitment on Saturday. On Sunday I will attend the installation with one congregation and be on time for my 11:00 a.m. commitment with another. And, by the way, someone far more appropriate than I will be conducting the installation! Which again, is why I write “Now to him …”
Now to him …