Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!
This morning Lord, I spent some time chatting online with a friend regarding some trials she and her family were going through. We were discussing the importance of remaining open to finding Your assistance in unexpected places, and a story I’d heard some time ago came to mind…
There was a man whose farm was located on the banks of a flood-swollen river. As the water rose, a neighbor drove up in a Jeep, urging him to leave before the farm was flooded. “Oh, no,” said the man confidently, “God will save me.”
The water rose higher, and the man was forced to move into the second story of the farmhouse. A police boat soon came, and the officers called for the man to hurry and get into their boat.
“Oh, no, that won’t be necessary,” the man insisted. “God will save me.”
Finally the house was completely engulfed in water, and a Coast Guard helicopter swooped in to rescue the man, now perched on the roof. Again he refused. Just then, a huge wave of water swept over the house, and the man drowned.
When he got to Heaven, he stormed at the Lord, asking WHY God had let him die when his faith had been so strong.
“What do you mean?” asked the heavenly Father. “I sent a Jeep, a boat, and a helicopter … and you wouldn’t budge!”
When I look at some of the most powerful Blessings You’ve brought into my life Father, a good many of them came about in ways that I never would have expected.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)
Help us Lord…
To realize Your Blessings don’t always present themselves as we expect,
To recognize Your gifts when You place them in our path,
And to suspend our disbelief, accepting Your aid when it’s offered…
To let go, and let God.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
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Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
Great reminder, Phil. Love your picture too.
God’s blessings come in many different forms and we need to be open to receiving them all. His ways are not our ways and we shouldn’t assume we know how and when God is going to provide.
Many blessings Phil!
I remember the first time I took a youth pastor position at a church. I was in college, and a newlywed. I was faced with many challenges. The senior pastor would always use that phrase. Brought back some good memories. God bless!
One of my all-time favorite illustrations for how super saints can overlook God’s help in the form of humanity! We recognize Him in the least of these, but not always in those He sends to be our present help in time of trouble, when we are the needy ones.
That statement is one of the hardest things for us to do, we struggle with it but we know that GOD knows best and we have to trust Him. There have been several people in my life in whom I had to let go of them and let God do what He knows what to do… Great post
This reminded me of our pastors sermon Christmas Eve. Jesus too was an unexpected gift – a baby born to poor parents – not the type of saving king the world expected. It is hard though to let go of our expectations and hopes, isn’t it? good thoughts here, Phil