I Feel a Draft.....

(SPOILER:   If you don't believe in God or His omnipotence....
this post will probably bewilder you quite a bit.)


You know how they say, "When God shuts a window He opens a door"?
(or shuts a door and opens a window or cuts a sun roof or shuts the garage or whatever???)

You know what I mean.

That point when you realize that you are supposed to do something.
You can't ignore that you're supposed to do something.
There is something that you are supposed to be doing.

And you know this because a window/door/opportunity/sky-light/chance/option/opening has been
brazenly
blatantly
repeatedly
obviously
slammed down right in front of you?

And maybe this "opportunity" has come after other things you've been working on (thinking you were following God's plan) perhaps didn't come to fruition?

And maybe this "opportunity" has appeared after you've prayed and prayed for an answer?

And maybe this "opportunity" popped at a point where so many planets had to come into alignment for it to occur that it's pretty flippin' obvious it's no coincidence?

Could be a job offer.
Maybe it's a meeting.
It might be a letter in the mail.
Perhaps it's an innocent request from a friend.
Possibly it's the loss of a job.
It could even present as an extra burden or task you hadn't planned on undertaking.

Irregardless of how it shows up.....the circumstances surrounding it's appearance make it pretty clear that "it" is destined to be part of your life story.

Now.
What?

Just jump on board and ride that crazy train to some pearly-gate station?

Well....I've done that.
And sometimes that train derails and it isn't pretty.

Does that mean it wasn't a divine opportunity?

Not necessarily.

Might mean it was more of a "divine learning experience"...but I still came away a little more bruised and tattered and muddy and refined.

So maybe I should tell the train to just please hold....and do some prayer and research and prayer and talking and prayer and then....if nothing prevents me....climb cautiously on board and buckle my seat belt.

Well....I've done that too.
And sometimes the train falls into a big lake and seat-belts don't help and it isn't pretty.

Does THAT mean it wasn't a divine opportunity?

Again....not necessarily.

Again I come away more soggy refined.

Proverbs 21 says that "The horse is prepared for the day of battle...but victory is from the Lord."

Proverbs 16 says that (totally paraphrasing here) we might toss a coin to decide a direction....but God decides how it's going to fall.

In other words.....as much preparation (or just jumping in without looking) as I do...God still decides how it's all going to go down.

So.....the good news?  He's got my back.
If I really really commit my efforts and work to Him....He'll do exactly what needs to be done.

Bad news?
Falling off a fast-moving train sorta hurts.

Risk worth taking?

Well....each situation and "opportunity" has to be considered and taken differently.

In Proverbs 26 (very useful book for this post!) it says:
"Do NOT reason with a fool when they're doing something foolish....but DO reason with a fool when they ARE being foolish."(paraphrased again)

Every situation is different....and every situation needs to be considered individually.

Sometimes God wants to protect us by keeping us away from harmful situations.

Other times we are supposed to go through that sand-papery spiky window....because even though it's going to be painful (and sacrificial)...it's the direction God has written on our life-map.

So something comes up.
It's pretty miraculous how it occurs.
It feels like it has to has to has to be directly from God.

Pray.
Jump.
Pray while jumping.

But don't just sit there.
Eventually....your current comfy seat WILL become saggy and lumpy and uncomfortable.
And you'll wonder how you got so far away from that breezy open window.


(I need to add THIS LINK.  It's a pretty amazing song....that always seems to come at just the right times.....)