Many years ago, I heard others try to convince me that listening to predictions of the future were - in their words, .."a fool's errand". It made sense to me in those days as I certainly did not have the facts at hand that might even suggest, I could look into the future and based on my limited knowledge, help others to see that the path they were following were merely subtle tricks to ensnare their future attempts at success as the world knows it to be..
I have changed my mind. The day came when I had the courage to lay aside any thoughts about the future - for others. I came to that realization when I was confronted by the word of God, specifically involving the way I had been living I was drawn to our Lord's command in the verses we like to call "The Sermon on the Mount." I was confronted by His command, "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand." Trying to reconcile that thought in my mind, I suddenly became aware of the many ways in which I had rebelled against my own Mother, ignoring the conditions that were, in fact, affecting the decisions she was confronted with at the time. It was the heart of the Depression years, her husband, the father of her children, was dead and somehow, she had to make a living for her own self and the two of us, hardly more than mere toddlers.
Repent? Oh yes, I had many reasons to repent and did, right there, right then. His response was more than just His acknowledgement. I was riding on a Greyhound bus and it was time for us to stop for breakfast. As I walked through the door to the cafe, I was greeted by the waitress insisting we were a good looking crew. My immediate response was, "I think I have been 'born again'" and she immediately replied. "Well, praise the Lord, let's get my brother a breakfast" and she was gone. Soon, she returned with a huge plate of eggs, toast and sausages. "Oh, I can't afford all of that," I protested and she as quickly. she responded, "My Brother, our Father- has taken care of the bill. Eat up!"
I will never forget those moments. I had been attending church for most of my life and now, I had a hard time reconciling all that was happening to me. Difficult, yes, but I was now determined to follow His lead.. Almost forty years have passed since that wonderful morning. A couple of weeks passed and I was sitting in a church pew and listening to a choir of older folks singing, "It gets better and better as the time flies by, oh what a love between my Lord and I." Perfect, I thought, this has to my theme song. It still is!
God has blessed me over and over and over again and I say that in spite of the fact that two women I have loved and married are now gone on before me.
Life does seem to take strange turns, but I have discovered that around every corner I have seen our Father standing there, encouraging me to move on, to stand up and declare His victory over sin and yes, death itself, had been accomplished at a place called Calvary, through His Son, our Lord, Jesus the Christ.
What seems to fascinate me so often is the tendency for others to predict the future as if they had proof positive that their thoughts include specific evidence as to what will, or will not happen. I have long since had it proven to me, the more accurate wisdom we find in the scriptures. "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may brig forth." (Proverbs 27:1)
Recently, a man was in my apartment fixing a stove burner and before he left, I discovered he was even eager to tell me the "real" story about that day we refer to as, 9/11. It was not foreigners who had carried out their deadly mission, but our own government's plot to deceive us. He believes that. He had seen evidence that this story was in fact, a fact. Well now, I did not, but I should have reminded him of the scriptures that teach, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord." (Jeremiah 17:5)
Even better, I should have offered my testimony as evidence of my belief and commended to him a measure I have used to guide my own steps as I have progressed through the years of my life, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God, above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear to be, lights in the world."
I have lived long enough to recall the voices that were also raised after Pearl Harbor, suggesting that too was evidence of our government's manipulation of the truth More proof that the Bible is accurate in its examination of the truth that is often, manipulated to serve the purposes of the enemies of God and frustrate the lives of those who have yet to realize His love for each one of us.
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