As I spin this yarn, never lose recall of this basic Christian lesson: Our lives carry out, not in our time, but in God’s time.
So, it has been nearly a year since a once-young Christian was last among the saints during a Lord’s Day worship service.
That truth never sits well with him.
Though he struggles mightily, at times, to carry on as an obedient child of God, attending worship service has long been his passion.
Being physically part of it all never fails, it seems, to uplift his soul.
Ah, but complications related to a long-standing physical abnormality and the consequences of aging have conspired to limit the Christian’s mobility.
The conspiracy has become so great that he is now forced to limit much of his activity in hopes of revitalizing certain parts of his body.
The therapy, along with prayers and hopes, seems to work, but, at times, not as fast as the Christian would like.
That is especially so, now that it has caused him to temporarily discontinue his attending worship service.
But now that it has reached nearly a year, the Christian has begun to think that it is time to shut down or modify therapy.
“Why not?” He thought, a few weeks ago. “I can go to church on a limited basis until everything is strong and smoothly functioning.
“What could that hurt?”
As part of the Christian’s therapy, he also uses a power chair and/or a scooter to aid in his mobility.
The heavier more complex power chair is the most therapeutically accommodating piece of equipment for the brother to use at this time.
So he worked out a plan in his head that would allow him to attend the next worship service.
It would be at least a month ahead of the proposed return date his caregiver recommended.
“I know you say I should wait and I know it probably would be better for me to wait,” he told the caregiver – his daughter – during a discussion. “But I just need to get out of this house. I need to be at church.”
Soon after that conversation, as the Christian made mental plans for attending the next Lord’s Day service, he heard an unusual tapping sound coming from his power chair as it sat with its battery re-charging.
And the next the brother knew, the chair wouldn’t move an inch on its own.
It took him at least a month to finally get a technician out to examine his chair.
And the line on the bottom is that it will be as much as another 90 days before the chair is made operational.
When the Christian learned that, a voice in his head reminded him that he can use all of that time to continue his therapy.
So what is one lesson the child of God gained through all of this?
He may have had his plans and dreams for what he may want to do, but God has other plans. And His will be done.
I am familiar with the particulars of this lesson and I am humbled by it all because I am that struggling Christian.
Lord willing, we will be together soon.
Please keep praying for me as I continue praying for you.
“Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust” (Ps. 16:1).
Ozzie Roberts
9-8-19
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