It was one bright, crisp autumn day long ago when on the way home from work I had a revelation from God. For seven days prior to that I suffered through chest pain, shortness of breath and a battery of tests to rule out a heart attack. That morning, I had the final test, a stress test. As the nurse increased the speed of the treadmill, she looked at my chart and asked, “How old are you, thirty-six?” I nodded, out of breath and struggling to keep pace. “Yep, I see ‘em younger and younger,” she said.
I wasn’t surprised.
I went back to work and spent the rest of the day trying to relax.
When I think about my life, sometimes I wonder when my prayers will be answered. It causes me stress. I know it shouldn’t, but it does.
I remember how God called me to Him. It wasn’t one person or event, but a series of things that kept drawing me to Him. Like the gospel music that I played on my headset as I crossed the still, quiet college campus to my summer classes, or my mother saying we should check out the new church around the corner. Simple intimations like that. He called and I answered.
My revelation came on that crisp autumn day when I made myself relax and take in the day. The Lord showed me that He wants me to believe in Him, above all else, and to make Him the center of my life, over every person, every desire. Over materialism, individualism, every other –ism and everything else that was causing me stress. But that meant being at peace with circumstances that I didn’t plan or with timeframes I didn’t prefer.
Two days later the nurse called and reported the stress test was normal.
Let’s celebrate the Birth of our Savior in Luke 1, and His teaching about worry in Matthew 6:25-34. And remember:
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Merry Christmas!