Opening the Box (Proceed with Caution)

In a time where abortions are an everyday norm and aborted fetuses are picked through and sold for parts, this blog called, Opening the Box (Proceed with Caution) from a dear friend in Colorado is a refreshingly beautiful picture of the sanctity of life, the simple faith of the redeemed, and the loving grace of a God who is sovereign and good.

Read the beautiful words of a heart exposed, which reveals the faithfulness and glory of God in the sufferings and joys of this life.  I pray that you will read this blog and that it will warm, encourage, and remind your heart of steadfast truth.  If this blog blesses you, share it with others who may have experienced loss, need to be reminded of the beauty of life, even in the womb, or need assurances that God is indeed good and working throughout our sufferings and our greatest joys.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:5

Stop Believing the Lie

I recommended this blog post, by my wife, to everyone and yet I just discovered that most of you who viewed my blog chose not to read her blog.  I believe that this blog my wife wrote needs to be read by every believer in Jesus Christ.  If you did not chose to check out this blog last time, I hope you will choose to read it tonight.  Blessings

This whole blog may be long and a little messy - I just have so much rolling in my head right now.  So much has happened.  I have to share it.  I can't just pray, I can't just journal.  It begs to be shared.

For over two years now I have felt a disconnect in my faith.  I have wondered about what Christ has really done for me that I should share him with others, what are the real differences among those in the trinity, what does a Christ-centered life really look like, do people really come to Jesus anymore, do I know him and does he know me, am I really saved at all and from what, and two years ago I had the scariest of all these questions pounding me in the face - God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit - does He really even exist or have I been believing a lie...

I have been seeking - oh, Lord, have I been seeking - but where have I sought the answers?

I've turned to people.

Now, don't get me wrong, I fully believe that God can and does speak through His children - otherwise how would anyone believe unless everyone had access to the Bible and the Holy Spirit at every waking moment.  How can we believe unless someone tells us?  That's in the Word.

But people are NOT a substitute for the Word.

I asked so many people so many different times - so much so that they probably got so tired of me.  I could see it in their faces sometimes - to the point where I stopped asking the questions with some people and just wallowed in my lostness.  And that's what it was.  Lostness.  Now, again, don't get me wrong.  I KNOW that I am a child of God.  It has taken the past two years to make me certain of that again, but even in my lostness, I at least faintly knew that I still loosely believed.  My faith was likely as small and frantic as an electron circling the nucleus of an atom of a mustard seed (if there even is such a thing - I am an English teacher, after all), but it was there. 

Still, I was lost.  I was lost in a world without certainty.  I was lost in a world where I felt so alone and like there was no one to turn to.  My parents and in-laws are all ministers - what would they say to my loss of faith?  My sister had helped me in the past, but was I willing to open this up to her?  My brother, I knew, had his own struggles and I didn't want to be a hindrance to him. 

Thank God for my husband.  Although he has at many points been one of those who rolled his eyes at yet another moment of my questioning - he has always allowed God to speak through him, even if it took him a while to get to that point in the conversations.  He has been to me, his wife, exactly what a Godly husband should be.  But more on that later.

Still, I maintain my previous statement, people are NOT a substitute for the Word of God.

I've turned to books. 

Books written by Godly people who have had their own struggles.  In this past year or two, those have been Becoming a Woman of Faith by Cynthia Heald, A Sure Path by Susan S. Scott, Reckless Faith by Beth Guckenberger, and One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  Each, in their own way, about faith, which is what I knew I was lacking.  I have grown in faith by reading these books and they have helped me to see new things about God and my realtionship with Him

But, again, books are NOT substitutes for the Word of God.

I have also turned to music.

KLOVE, Air1, and any other Christian radio stations that grace the dial in my car as well as that in my iTunes and flowing from my church.  Especially when songs are about God, I can see Him and I can feel closer to Him.

But, again, music is NOT to be a substitute for the Word of God.

Somehow I always knew that the Bible was where I should turn and God was who I needed to seek, but I had begun to believe the lie that if I went there, all I would get would be condemnation.  All I would get would be a sentence.

See this?  Yeah, you're definitely lost.  Man, you are so lost.  Oh, and check out this sin I bet you didn't even know you had - you're a wreck.  And check out this other stuff in your head and your heart and your life.  You're such a terrible person, you can never fix all the things that are wrong with you!

And I was right - in part.

This afternoon I was talking with my husband about the idea of us beginning to take steps to become missionaries - something that has been growing in his heart as a desire and calling for the past 5 years and something that used to be very present in my heart as a calling and a passion, telling others about Christ.

But not anymore. 

Even before the past two years, I was still wandering in a place where I wondered if God really spoke to me still, if He really had a plan for me, if I could know what that was, if I was even worthy of it anymore. 

There's me again, believing the lie. 

Still, after such a long time of lostness - I had forgotten too many things to see the need for sharing Christ with others.  I knew this was a good thing, something Christians should do, but not only did I feel stale in this calling, I also felt stale in my relationship with Christ.  The more my husband spoke passionately about sharing Christ with others and the more he shared with me how genuine his belief in Christ and how ardent his faith, the more I felt my heart crying out I wish someone would share this Jesus with me - I want to meet this Jesus.  Like the retired pastor in Frank Perretti's novel The Visitation, I felt in my heart "I was saved, sanctified, born again, and Spirit-filled, but Jesus and I were strangers."

Again I asked the hard questions. 

Again, God spoke to me through my husband.  The following are answers my heart believes.  These are not just answers fed me by a loving husband, but answers whispered into my heart by a loving God through my husband, my books, my music, my experiences, and my seeking in scripture.  You see, God can use all these.  And He does.  But the Word is His living story.

*What's with the trinity?  Yes, God is the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, but all are God. 

The Father knew there was no way for us to be with Him, so he sent the Son.  The Son lived among us to show us who the Father truly was and to give us the opportunity to be like him, then died so that we could be fully made right with God if we accepted his sacrifice.  The Holy Spirit was sent to us, the believers, in order to help us understand and remember the Son's teaching and lead us to the Father, call us to be made right and follow the Son to the longest-lasting and most pure relationship we'll ever have.

*Why is Jesus so important?  He's the cure! 

I can read about my diagnosis all day in the Bible.  True, I am a wreck.  True, I do have sin that I don't even know is there.  True, there is absolutely nothing I can do to fix myself, no matter how long I try or how many methods I use to self-improve.  But if I read the Bible simply for it's diagnosis and not for the fact that Jesus came to fix me, to give me hope, to be my cure!  He is the one who will come and take his faithful home to be with him.

*Why is the Bible such a big deal?  The Bible isn't just another book, but THE book!

True, it does show us what is wrong in the eyes of God and it does show us why we'll never be able to come to God on our own merits.  But it's also the living story of God's love and promises shown through a multitude of generations and a man who died and lives and has the power and authority to give me freedom from anything and everything that can keep me from being the woman I was made to be... without understanding this, I have truly missed it.  Oh, Lord, have I missed it.

*What does a Christ-centered life really look like?  Just look at the lives of those who don't just profess to believe what the Bible says, but also LIVE it out!

My friends who are in Spain sharing the truth of the gospel, they are living it.  My friends and their large family living in the Horn of Africa and sharing what Jesus has done in their lives with the lost they meet, they are living it.  My loved ones leaving for India to build relationships with people they have never met in a country they have never more than visited in order to help people break free of the chains of a life lived by rules and traditions instead of the freedom of Jesus's sacrifice and love for us, they are living it.  And my dear, dear husband who shares with the broken women at his workplace through song and service and the small pod of young people in our young adults bible study group through the Word and the "random" people he comes into contact with that start asking the questions without realizing it...

and his lonely, questioning, frightened wife who feels safe asking him the hard questions and trusting that he knows the way to lead her back to the One who will always have the answers. 

*So do people really come to Jesus anymore?  Yes, oh, Lord, yes, they do.  How do I know?

Because I do. 

I do.

*Do I really know him and does he really know me?  Yes, He does.  And though I feel that I have before and I only now do in part, I am learning to know Him more and will seek to do so for the rest of my life. 

How?  By seeking him in the Bible - in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) where the men He ministered with share their experiences with Him - and share his words.  By seeking Him in prayer - asking Him my tough questions and believing Him for the truth to blot out all the lies.  By being obedient to do what he asks of me even when it's scary and I don't feel like I am the right one to be doing so.  He knows me.  He loves me.  That's why He died, that's why He lives, that's why He calls me to join Him, that's why He allows me to face the hard questions and wrestle through them for the blessing on the other side. 

I won't let go, Lord, I won't let go!

So now the answer to my oldest and scariest question...

*Have I been believing a lie?

Well, I must tell you that the answer is yes. 

Yes I have.

I have believed that God was not there and even if He was, He wouldn't speak to me and that was a lie.

I have believed that Jesus did and is doing nothing worthy of me sharing him with others - a tragic lie.

I have believed that I was lost in the midst of all my questioning and that He had left me - a blatant lie.

I have believed that I could magically draw closer to Him by talking to other people, listening to music, and reading odd books instead of seeking him in scripture and asking him for guidance - a candle-snuffing lie.

I have believed that the Bible was just another book and had no more power than to show me what I was doing wrong and give me more and more reasons why I am an unsalvageable wreck - a tormenting lie.

I have believed that God doesn't speak anymore, that Jesus doesn't save anymore, that the Holy Spirit doesn't move anymore -

lies, all wretched lies.

Our conversation ended with me praying to Jesus, my long-lost savior and my friend, my hope, my cure - confessing my spiritual Alzheimer's and forgetfulness, asking Jesus to remind me that I don't need to live a lie anymore - I don't need to live looking at my diagnosis, but blind to the freedom of His cure - that it's true that I am absolutely wretched and there is absolutely nothing I can do to fix myself, but THAT is why I so desperately need Him.  I asked Him to remind me who He was, bring me back from wandering so far off the road that I forgot the road entirely.  I asked Him to show me more and more who He was in scripture and in prayer and give me a passion and a boldness and an undeniable calling to follow Him.  I begged Him to let me not forget this.

I cried.

My husband had said before, during our conversation, that he could not figure out why he still felt such a growing calling to go and share Christ with the people of another country if it was not God's will - that he had been trying to be faithful in every circumstance that God gave him in the here and now, but knew more and more that if he - if we - didn't GO, it was disobedience.  I understood now.

I looked into his tear-swollen eyes, knowing they reflected my own, and said, "honey, maybe you just needed to share Him with me first."

He smiled, the tears welling again, and answered, "maybe I did...

maybe I did"

I'm sorry for the length and mess of this post.  I knew I needed to share it - not just for you, but for me.  We English/Writing teachers have a bit of a saying - If it isn't documented, it never happened.  I could not risk forgetting again.  Please hold me accountable to today.  Please help me to not forget. 

And please learn from my lostness, my wandering, my hard questioning.

The next time Satan tempts you to believe a lie, wrestle it out with God.  Ask Jesus the hard questions, beg for answers.  LOOK to Him.  Bend your eyes, your heart, your will, upward and pray.  Ask Him.  If you have believed in your heart that Jesus came for you, that there is no way that you can do anything to fix yourself or have a chance at saving yourself from the pits in life and the pit of Hell in death other than to trust in His sacrifice and surrender your life to Him, allowing Him to give you freedom - then continue to trust Him even when things don't make sense.  And believe me, there will come lonely, gut-wrenching times when things don't make sense.  Only Jesus can show you the way through all of the pain to all of the answers and even if it hurts to get there, it is SO worth it!

Press on to SEEK the Truth and STOP believing the lie!!

The Year of Jubilee

Tonight, my wife and I decided to create a fundraiser through www.youcaring.com.  I have to say that I have struggled with creating this fundraiser for months.  For years now, we have felt the Lord leading us toward international missions.  My best friend and his wife are currently in Spain training to reach the Basque people group and I have to say that my heart aches to join my brother in ministry in Spain.  My heart deeply desires the freedom to follow the Lord's lead on our life.

Proverbs 22:7 says, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender."  This verse pierces directly through my heart and I affirm it's truth with a resounding amen!  I have fully felt the weight of my slavery ever since completing school and beginning the process of paying back the loans my wife and I accumulated.  We have been paying on our loans now for about seven years and I am not sure that we have made much if any progress on them.  It feels as though they are a mountain that is slowly crushing me.  


I desire nothing more than for this mountain to be thrown into the sea.  I desire nothing more than to be free to serve the Lord completely.  I desire the ability to fully devote my life to reaching others for Christ.  The Lord has blessed my wife and I greatly by providing us with a great church and a young adult ministry.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach these young adults the Word each week.  I am so thankful for each opportunity I have to minister and proclaim the gospel of Jesus to others.  


Even with all these wonderful blessings, they pale in comparison to what my wife and I could do if we were able to devote our full energy to serving Christ.  We both have to work full-time jobs just to make ends meet and many times we come home exhausted.  My wife is a teacher and many times when she comes home, her job comes with her.  I can't tell you how many times my wife has worked through the night till morning grading homework, papers, and projects.  We are slaves to our bills and slaves to our lenders.  


James 4:2 says, "You do not have because you do not ask God."  Because of this verse, I decided to go ahead and setup the fundraiser.  I specifically decided to end the fundraiser on July 31st because it is the first day of school for my wife.  My hope is also that my wife will be able to stay home, if she chooses, with our soon to come boy.  It would be so wonderful for her to be able to choose this option if she wanted to and me be able to provide for all our other bills on my own.  I am not interested in raising the money to erase this debt on my own power.  If the Lord chooses to erase this debt, I want to be sure that I can not claim any part of the debt being erased.  It would take $60,000 to erase our school debt.  The idea of raising $60,000 tot in 2 months seems completely impossible but Jesus says in Luke 18:27 is, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."  


If I am to live completely sold out and devoted to God, I have to believe in the supernatural. I do not believe the Lord would call us to something and not provide us the way to follow His call.  I want every single step of my walk to be fully depending and expecting Him to supernaturally move in my life.  In encouraging the Philippians to trust the Lord to provide and be content he makes this comment in Philippians 4:19 saying, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."


Creating this fundraiser is the first step to fully trusting the Lord to provide.  Even if no money is given to this fundraiser, I will fully and completely trust my Lord to provide.  I will still expect Him to provide the open door to answer His calling to international missions.  I will trust Him to open the door at the right time, his time.  Though my heart aches so much to be with my brother in Spain walking side by side with him reaching lost souls for Christ, I will faithful trust the Lord's direction in my life, no matter what.  I will continue to live for Him, speak for Him, sing for Him, and share His gospel with others.  


Are you completely trusting you life to Christ each day?  Psalm 3:4-5 brings me such peace saying, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.^{" There is no peace outside of Him.  There is no joy outside of walking in  Him daily.  Do you know Jesus Christ tonight?  Have you believed in Him?  Are you looking to Him to lead every facet of your life?  You are never too far gone.  There is no sin you could have committed that would be too great for Him to receive you, forgive you, and welcome you into a relationship with Him.  I pray that you will seek Him today.  If you ever need to talk, have questions, or just need prayer, know that I am always available and you can email me at greg.ivey@me.com.}


The link for our fundraiser is youcaring.  If you would take a moment to look at the fundraiser, pray for the Lord's guidance pertaining to it, and share it with fellow friends who might be interested, we would be grateful. Thank you for your consideration. 


Blessings,


Greg 

Apprentice of the Master Artist

For the past year, I have been discovering the artist heart within me. My wife has softly encouraged me to realize my talent and potential by buying me paints, pastels, charcoals, a sketching pad, and canvas'. I must admit that I was not to interested in using these gifts at first. I honestly didn't understand why she would be giving me these things because I felt as though my artist talent was severely lacking

Other than the required art classes in school, I have never had any training in art. When I was younger, I used to try and draw animals and cars. I have always enjoyed drawing but have mostly done it while sitting in an incredibly boring class ;). I honestly wish that I had spent more time exploring different artistic mediums.

I am now learning that I do not have to take art classes to enjoy exploring new art mediums. In the past year, I have leaned so much about acrylic painting, pastels, and digital art. I have truly enjoyed and honestly been quite surprised by the pieces I have been able to create. I feel as though I have so much more to learn and so much I still am unable to do but I feel encouraged by what I have accomplished this past year.

Throughout my time of rediscovering the artist in me, I have developed more of an appreciation for the sheer beauty of all the Lord has created. He truly is the master artist. There are so many delightfully interesting and strange creations in this world and our Lord crafted and created each one. The first two chapters of Genesis speak directly to Him creating the universe.

When I sit down at night and create a drawing in a sketchpad or canvas, I am usually quite pleased and glad that it is good. When the Lord sat down to create our universe, He created life, light, matter, existence, and time and it was most definitely GOOD!  Every single facet of this life has been crafted by God.  Nothing has been left to chance and contrary to popular belief this world did not just happen.

As some of you know, I am very fond of the Chronicles of Narnia series. Probably my favorite book within the series is The Magician's Nephew because it shows such a beautiful picture of Aslan creating Narnia.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we are given the opportunity each day to be made a new by Jesus.  Are you letting Jesus paint a masterpiece on your heart.  You will find no greater peace, satisfaction, purpose, or beauty than what Jesus can bring to you.  I hope you will put your life in the hands of the master Artist today.

Blessings,

Greg

My wife and I feel an intense calling on our lives for missions and full-time ministry.  We have created a fundraiser to help us overcome one hurtle to us being able to go to the mission field.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.
http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=3437&url=roadtofreedomforproclaimingchrist

Trail of Devastation

Me examining and trying to find anything worth saving in my sister's car, which I owned first, after a devastating F4 tornado tore through Union University in Jackson, Tennessee in February 2008.

Having a sister that survived a F4 tornado four years ago, I ask that you pray for all those affected by the tornadoes in these last few days.  You cannot imagine the devastation, the power, or the life changing turmoil created by these massive funnels of catastrophe, until you have lived through one.  I only partially understand the suffering the people who encountered tornados today may be experiencing, through eyes and stories of my sister.

I arrived at her campus just one day after the tornado tore through the town of Jackson Tennessee.  I have never seen cars crushed and smashed in such a way.  I have never seen walls splintered to pieces, roofs gone, and debris so scattered before. As we waited to get the few items my sister owned not destroyed by the storm, I looked at all the stone-faced and shocked people grouped together.  Most of the people I saw that day were numb and just trying to process whether the events of the last 24 hours were real or just a dream.

I praise God each day that He chose to spare my sister and the 1000+ others who were on the campus that day.  I have developed a greater love, appreciation, and closeness with my sister because of that event just four years ago.  She is so precious to me and through that event I learned to never take life for granted especially with the ones you love.  I have a small glimpse into what the people who lived through the tornado events today are going through and yet I know so little about how they truly feel.

Please pray for peace and comfort tonight for each person who experienced a tornado or is a friend or family member to someone who experienced a tornado in the last few days.  Please pray for provision for them.  Pray for loving support to surround them.  Pray that they would be able to find peace that passes understanding in their souls after experiencing something so incredibly frightening.

Blessings,

Greg

Good and Perfect Gift

I have learned in the past four days that sickness is an excellent reminder of the blessings of good health.  I have by no means enjoyed the snotting, the coughing, the chest pain, the body aches, or the nights of little if any sleep.  I have especially not appreciated the missed work days and missing the class I am taking.  In these times I feel so useless and broken.  I wonder if I will wake up healed or if the sickness will become worse.  With my wife being pregnant, I do my best not to infect her though I want to hold her and feel comfort by having her close to me.  Needless to say, I do not like being sick.

The thing is though that in my sickness I am dependent upon healing and comfort from God.  Yes we have doctors, medicines, home remedies, and more to help our sickness heal but ultimately our health is in His hands.  This was never more true than last night when I could feel my heart beating out of my chest due to the cold medicine I took.  I had taken this medicine in the hopes that it would give me sleep not keep me awake most of the night wondering if I was going to die.

Now I do have to admit that at times I have hypochondriac tendencies and that in no way helps to comfort your mind as you lay in bed feeling your heart beat through your chest and in your arm.  I finally got up and called the pharmacist to see if what I was experiencing was normal or something that needed medical attention.  He assured me that my symptoms where normal from this drug and that it would stop as the medicine wore off.  Well three and a half hours later at around 2:30 in the morning I think I finally fell asleep only to be awoke at 7:30 for my first full day of work this week.

Last night I had no other option but to trust God with my life.  When we are healthy and life is good, work is going well, and the bills are getting paid, we have this false assurance that we are in control of our life.  It is amazing how a simple cold can remind us of the humbling reality that our lives are in God's hands and that we are fully dependent upon His grace to continue sustaining our lives.  Psalm 39:4-6 is sobering saying,
⁴ 


4 O Lord, make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
⁵ 5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
⁶ 6    Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
    man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!


James 4:14 says, "Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." 


I do not speak of these things to be morbid but to remind us of the wonderful blessing of life and health.  Each day we wake up is a blessing from God.  Each day is an opportunity to reach a life for the kingdom.  Each day is an opportunity to praise the one who has given you life.  Though I am still healing from the cold that started a few days ago, I have been reminded to appreciate the blessings in my life.  In James, it speaks of every good and perfect gift coming from God.  This evening the thought crossed my mind that even sickness could be considered a good and perfect gift if it directs your heart back to a love and dependance on the sovereignty of God.  Food for thought. 


Blessings,


Greg

Lies of the Devil

One day last summer my best friend and I, while sitting in the cafeteria of the IUPUI campus, wrote this list of what we believe to be the biggest lies from the devil men are deceived by.

1) That we don't have an escape from temptation and sin.  (1 Corinthians 10:13)
2) That we don't have to fight to stay pure and keep from sinning.  (Ephesians 6:12 )
3) That we should not have to endure trials to build character and mature.  (James 1:12)
4) That we are only hurting ourselves when we fall prey to sin.  (Courageous Website offers great resources addressing this lie)
5) That being free from sin as a Christian is easy.  (1 Corinthians 9:24)
6) That if we aren't instantly sinless, we are a failure or without Jesus. (Justification and Sanctification)
7) That pornography doesn't hurt anyone and is not wrong. (Philippians 4:8, Matthew 5:28, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

Whenever I struggle in my daily walk, I look back at these lies to center myself in the truth of Jesus.  I would love to hear input from each of you on what you think of these lies.  If you agree with them or disagree.  Also I would love to know if you have other lies from the devil you have identified to help strengthen your walk and keep you aligned in the narrow way of Jesus.

I think of Pilgrims progress as an example of the importance of identifying and avoiding the Devil's and world's lies.  Whenever Christian took his eyes off of the road he was to travel, usually it was because he was lured off the road by a deception.  Many times the consequences of being led astray had high costs for Christian and his travelers.  I leave you with Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, 
   for everything you do flows from it."

Blessings,

Greg

Things I Learned From a Trailer

Today, I learned how to load, secure, and drive with a tractor on a trailer.  I use a trailer all the time doing landscaping projects at my job but most of the time I am pulling it around with our tractor.  My trailer adventure today involved me pulling more weight than I ever had before and came with new challenges and lessons.

I had to rent a larger trailer for our tractor because the trailer we have at work is to small.  When I brought the trailer back to my job, I set it up so I could drive the tractor on it.  I decided to put my seatbelt on in this instance because I did not want to take any chance that the tractor would flip or fall off.  Driving the tractor up was simple enough but I was not sure how far forward to drive the tractor to create the proper balance for driving.  I drove the tractor forward until I saw the back of our vehicle even out and load a little and then stopped.

After chaining the tractor up, I got in the vehicle and began my trip to the mechanic.  It did not take me very long to realize that I had not balanced the tractor properly.  As I drove down the road, every little bump made the vehicle sway back and forth and and bounce up and down.  I had only made it a couple miles down the road when I was feeling a slight bit of motion sickness from the swaying and had to pull over to try and remedy the situation.

Luckily, when I pulled into the gas station, I saw a truck that looked like it had pulled quite a bit of heavy equipment.  I quickly parked, got out of the vehicle, and walked over to the truck to ask for help.  I asked the stranger if he had towed a tractor before and he answered that he had.  I asked him if he could help me and show me what I had done wrong in loading our tractor.  I explained to him how the vehicle was bouncing and swaying and he told me that I had not pulled the tractor far enough up on the trailer.

He helped me get the tractor position correctly and I have to say that the rest of my hour long trip was smooth and without motion sickness ;) .  It was still interesting dealing with the added weight, both in acceleration and braking.  I also had to be very careful to keep the trailer wheels in the lines and make sure that I made my turns wide to accommodate the large trailer behind me.  All in all, I am so grateful for the help of a stranger and that I made the trip to the mechanic and back safely.

God spoke to me in a few ways through this trip.  First, He showed me the value of asking for help.  There are many times in life when I have tried to do things on my own without seeking God's help and failed.  Through humbling myself and admitting that I can't do it on my own, I allow myself to be molded and taught by Jesus.  Second, If I had not paid attention to the trailer while I was driving, I would've surely hurt the tractor, myself, and/or others.  Through this, I learned how important it is to pay attention in life.  You never know when the Holy Spirit may be leading you to reach out, talk to someone, or teaching you a biblical truth through the situation you are in.  Lastly, I was acutely aware of how often my life is in God's hands.  Any number of things could've happened on my trip today.  I believe God was at work by steading my hands on the steering wheel, protecting my tires from blowing as I drove, directing the many semis in their lanes, providing a stranger to instruct me on proper trailering, and helping me to find the mechanic and navigate home without issue.

God is constantly moving and working in our lives.  Each day is an opportunity to see Him work in your life.  I leave you tonight with some verses that I hope will give you peace in knowing that God is in control of your life daily.  Ephesians 3:20, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us."  Matthew 10:29, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father."  Proverbs 16:9, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."


Blessings,


Greg