Money In My Pocket

My friend shared the story of a time she was going through both her clothes and her husband's, in an effort to thin and make room for new purchases.  She came across a pair of pants which she knew her husband didn't wear because he didn't like them, but had never gotten rid of since they were a gift.  On a whim, she decided to spare her husband the agony of disposal and did it for him, tossing them in the box for the church rummage sale.

 Some weeks later her husband noticed the pants were missing from his dresser drawer and asked his wife about it.  "I finally just got rid of them," she explained.  You weren't gonna do it." 

"You're kidding!   Did it occur to you to check the pockets?"

"No, of course not.  You've never even worn them,"

"Well someone now has another $300 to spend," he said matter-of-factly.

"Are you serious?" She asked.  "I guess someone must have needed that money," she added, laughing lightly so she wouldn’t cry.  "I had no way of knowing you put money in those pants!"

God has a way of using our mistakes for someone else's good.  While my friend suggested someone must really have needed the money, their own family could have used it, as well.  Getting angry at that point would have done little good.  The money was long gone and there was no way to even begin trying to track it. 

What is your reaction when you realize you’ve made a mistake with huge consequences?  Or perhaps you are in a situation, like another friend, where you haven’t made a mistake but you believe the person in control of a situation you are involved with has, and all you can do is wait.  While you wait, albeit impatiently, you discover changes in plans have been made by circumstances over which they had no control.   These changes delay an important transaction or meeting.  What do you do?

Do you look at the situation as “God is in control” or “people are just stupid?”   I watched the movie recently “God Is Dead,” and found it humorous when the Pastor who wanted nothing more than to go on vacation found his vehicle wouldn’t start, not only once but three times!  God clearly didn’t want him to leave.

My friend, in the situation where she was not in control, although not pleased by what was at first described as incompetence, can clearly in hindsight, see the hand of God.  The Lord had reasons for the transaction to be delayed.  As humans, however, it can be very difficult to acknowledge the circumstance for something other than what our anger calls for.  We want to be in control and when things look askew, the immediate reaction isn’t God at all; it is incompetence or stupidity.

God knows the beginning from the end.  He already knows what is going to happen, how we will handle it.  He makes decisions based on His knowledge far more accurately than any human.

As you deal with situations this week, consider each person involved.  What might be happening in their life which you know nothing about?  Could God be working in a situation which includes you, which will demonstrate His mercy, grace or power?  Would asking yourself these questions alter your perspective and therefore your response?