Right On Time: Alternative Motive
God is always up to something, even if we do not perceive it. To be honest, even when we try our best to be selfless, we often end up being quite selfish, primarily focused on ourselves and our next steps. After all, we are the main characters in our own stories.
Just the other day, I had planned to go to the beach. I was feeling mentally drained and wanted to rejuvenate through some quiet time with Jesus by myself. As soon as I got off work, I quickly took care of my dogs, showered, got dressed, packed my bible, notebooks, pens, and a blanket. I was more than ready.
Out of nowhere, everything seemed to slow down. I intended to arrive while it was still light out, but distractions kept popping up. My older sister unexpectedly showed up, and we ended up discussing baby shower game ideas and going through mini simulations of how the games could be played. As you can imagine, that definitely delayed my plans.
Eventually, we finished our conversation, and I was able to head out. By that time, it had already been dark for about two hours. Nevertheless, I was determined to have my time with Jesus, and nothing was going to stop me.
As I was leaving the house, I realized that I had been so busy with various tasks that I forgot to eat dinner. So, I had to stop to grab some food before finally heading to the beach. On my way, as I approached the drawbridge that led to the beach, lights began to flash, and the bridge went up. In that moment, I said to God, “I don’t understand why you’re allowing all this delay, but I suppose I have to accept it.” While I waited for the bridge to come back down, I leaned back and started eating my food.
Finally, I arrived at the beach and went to my usual spot. However, during a conversation with my older sister that night, she had mentioned her favorite area to visit when she came here. Since I was already off schedule, I decided to leave my usual spot and check out her spot instead.
Okay, this is where things get crazy. I couldn't help but notice how crowded the beach was on a Tuesday night. Then it hit me—it's spring break for college students, and they were out partying. While driving, I glanced to my right and saw a half-naked young lady walking along the sidewalk. I briefly looked at her, and when I noticed her stumbling several times, I realized she was extremely drunk.
I was concerned as I kept driving, so I started praying that someone would notice her and help her. As I prayed, it occurred to me that I was that someone who had noticed her and had the means to help. Instantly, I turned around, pulled up to the young lady, and asked if she was okay. To keep it brief, I learned that she had lost her friends, and she had nothing with her, not even her phone. She used my phone to contact her friends, and I drove her back to where she had wandered off.
Phew! That was a lot, but I had to share. That night was supposed to be all about my rejuvenation through Christ. Little did I know, God had a completely different purpose for me. His true intention was to save that young lady from impending danger. Even though I felt delayed, I was actually right on time for the assignment God had prepared for me that night. Instead of focusing on rejuvenation, I ended up helping that young lady and then going straight back home afterward. So I had my Jesus time, just not in the way I intended.
There’s so much more I would like to share about this story, but I’ll save that for another entry. For now, I hope this encourages you in some way. If you don't get anything else from this post, I hope you get this: Even if you're experiencing delays in various areas of your life, you just might be exactly where you are meant to be, right when you're meant to be there, because you’re in God’s will for your life. However, if you find yourself outside God's will for your life, that's a completely different topic which we'll save for another time.
God bless y’all! Trust God, trust the process.
Scripture to reflect on:
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
