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Listen while you read: "Go To Dark Gethsemane"1 (Lyrics) |
My husband was unemployed, so I needed a job. I was writing a monthly column for a national Canadian church paper, but we couldn't live on that. I was invited to an interview by an American firm that had just bought out the oldest publisher in Canada, and they needed a good Canadian to trot out when they were criticized. Being a recent American immigrant, I didn't know any of this.
The CEO and Vice President sat me down at a small table in their study. It held an immense coffee pot with bone china cups, cloth napkins, and an ornate sugar bowl and creamer set. Our knees were drawn up, crowded around the small table. I was impressed by their expensive suits. The job that they had in mind for me, the CEO said, was to meet their authors at the airport and take them out for a meal, extolling the publisher.
Oh dear! I hadn't driven in Canada; I had no car or license. Although I began to worry, I remembered that someone said, Faith is a lighted doorway; trust is a darkened hallway. This means that trust is an action word, for which faith is just the beginning. God was in this. I needed to trust Him.
The CEO handed me a cup of coffee. Determinedly laying aside my "what if's", I grabbed for the cup — and missed. It fell to the floor and broke, splashing me with hot coffee. Leaping up in shock and pain, I overturned the table, which tipped the large coffee pot onto the laps of my interviewers. The two men staggered to their feet, suppressing screams, and we did a little jig until most of the pain had subsided. When the table was upright again and the now-empty sugar bowl and creamer were its only decoration, I could see the two men envisioning me similarly assaulting their authors, bringing howls of agony and possible lawsuits.
Suddenly, the Vice President remembered another job opening: a children's book program done entirely by mail. "Just the thing for you," he said.
I worked for them until my husband found a job visiting inmates in federal prison. One of them had written a memoir that my new firm wanted to publish, but the author was currently "in the hole". My husband took the manuscript to him, and it subsequently won the Governor General's Award For Literature. Trust had put me in a place to have played a small part in that success.
1 Timothy 4:10b – We have [fixed our] hope on the living God, Who is the Savior (Preserver, Maintainer, Deliverer) of all men, especially of those who believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to Him). (AMPC)
God did have a job for me, just as He does have a way forward for you. Someone said that worry is just low-grade atheism. There's a world of distinction in saying that we have faith in God and actually trusting God. Trust is our pathway through the darkness.
Prayer: O Saviour, Maintainer, Preserver, and Deliverer, we rest our weary souls on You, trusting in Your promises and sharing our experience of Your loving kindness, despite our human frailties. How grateful we are to be Your children, especially in times like these. Thank You for saving, maintaining, preserving, and delivering us. Increase our trust in You today. Amen.
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Thank you.
Thanks, Rose, for another amusing and encouraging story.
God has a way of getting us to where He needs us to be! Blessings.
One more example of God’s amazing work in your life, Rose. You are such an encouragement to me.
Thanks for sharing, Rose, that must have been quite the meeting! So true, God always has a way forward!
Rose, just sending my love to you. The vibrant tones in each devotional touch hearts and minds, exactly as God planned.
Rose, Thank you for this true inspiring event in your life that encourages us to TRUST Him, our Father and provider, in all things.
WOW what a story!! Thank you for continuing to share your amazing journey. Thank you for showing God’s hand in the most unlikely situations.
Good one Rose. You have certainly done a lot of interesting things in your life!
Blessings.
Rose, when we hopefully do meet sometime for a coffee, I will be careful.
Thanks for another great story.
Thanks for sharing your testimony, beautiful piece.
Without faith we can’t please Him, Rose.
Thanks again.
Blessings.
Thank you, Rose, for your beautiful uplifting devotional this morning.
Your life stories are always ‘oh my goodness’ attention getters.
Be blessed. Stay safe and warm.
(ON)
I have shared this story to Facebook. I pray that it is received in the way I intended – a humourous story of God at work. My hope and prayer is that it will open some eyes to God at work in their lives.
Dear Rose,
Thank you for your very descriptive devotional today. Quite an episode you endured but our Lord was right there with you and opening the right opportunity. Faith surely opens the pathway for us to follow and brings the needed solution. Blessings for these very meaningful and special writings you do.
Dear Rose,
I love the distinction you’ve made between faith and trust. It can certainly be hard to trust when our way is dark, but that’s your point, isn’t it?! God so graciously leads — often behind the scenes where we can’t see His workings until later. Thanks for sharing this story and lesson to encourage us.
Rose,
I got a good laugh reading your story.
It reminded me of how God provides for us all and at times, has a bit of fun doing it.
You may remember the Three Stooges of American lore. During the Depression, they did all sorts of odd jobs, even construction, to put bread on the table. When they got into comedy, they used their experience in all those odd jobs to make us laugh at a time when we needed it most!
God bless and Keep the Faith! (and your sense of humor!)
Oh Rose, you have included so many gems in this devotional! I’ve been pondering your reference to Faith being a lighted doorway and trust a darkened hallway! I guess I’ve never thought of it that way before but how true: “Trust is an action word for which faith is just the beginning!”.
Thank you so much for helping me realize the distinct differences. I’ve referred in the past to my faith helping me through the trauma I experienced when my husband died so suddenly but now I realize that was actually the beginning. It was, in reality, TRUST in my Lord to help me and be with me, guiding me and strengthening me to move forward.
What a great start to my day!
Good morning, Rose,
It is hard to believe that happened and they actually hired you. God was definitely on your side and working for the good of all.
However your point is so true. “There’s a world of distinction in saying that we have faith in God and actually trusting God. Trust is our pathway through the darkness.”
The hymn that was chosen to go with “Oops!” I have not heard before. The words are so true about “trust in Christ”.
As I pray your prayer, I pray that my trust will stay strong in God and my eyes will be open to all that God does for me each and every day. Thank you once again. May you continue to trust in your Saviour and share your wisdom. Blessings.
Dear Rose, I beg of you, please write your memoir.
I have always printed for contributions since I signed up for the Daily Devotionals. Of late, I have started going back in the Daily Devotionals and am printing them and putting them in a binder. Your stories are always entertaining or have you riveted to your seat. They always are upheld with your faith actions that demonstrate true trust in the Lord. You inspire me so much Rose and have been an amazing influence in my life. I feel like I know you and have never met you. I pray our paths will cross someday.
´Someone said that worry is just low-grade atheism.’ I love this and it is so true. I have been guilty of this for years. While my trust in the Lord is growing, I am still a work in progress.
Blessings dear Rose.
Your brother in Christ!