We all have them at some stage in our lives -- situations that have the
potential to test our faith. Many years ago when I was in elementary
school, my parents and four siblings set out on our usual trip to the
village to visit with grandparents and extended family. My grandmother's
home was built on a hill surrounded by Mopani trees endowed with Mopani
worms, a rich source of protein. My dad drove a Hillman that could just
accommodate our family of seven on the 302-kilometre journey. As we
branched from the main dirt road onto a rocky footpath that took us to
the village, only my dad and the two youngest siblings would ride in the
car, while my mom, older sister, brother, and I completed the last part
of our journey on foot. Our arrival at the village homestead was always
greeted with cheering and ululation.
On this particular visit,
the car and its three occupants arrived, and my father got out of the
car, but forgot to apply the handbrake. Before my two younger siblings
could get out, the car began to roll downhill at great speed, leaving a
trail of destruction, noise, and chaos. My dad ran after the car while
my grandmother disappeared disoriented into the forest, too frightened
to witness the drama unfolding before her eyes. We were all crying and
screaming and imagining the worst, because there was a river at the
bottom of the steep hill, and the car was headed in that direction.
Suddenly, the engine ceased, the car abruptly stopped without
explanation a few metres short of the riverbank, and all went quiet. The
God moment came when we realized that my siblings in the car had escaped
unscathed. We would later learn what was going on in my dad's mind as he
prayed.
"Now all glory to God, who is able,
through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely
more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in
Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT)
As my dad appeared from among the trees, we noticed that he was
bleeding profusely from a deep gash on his left leg. My mom attended to
the bleeding and an uncle ferried him to the local clinic. A moment of
inattention from my dad became our family's God moment, and we have
shared this remarkable encounter with God's grace and faithfulness
countless times.
Followers of Jesus should accept life's
challenges or tragedies with grace and thanksgiving. God communicates
with us in different ways, and sometimes, it takes such a dramatic event
to renew or refine our faith. What my parents taught us is that in such
difficult and incomprehensible situations, we need to hand everything
over to God and allow Him to take over. I urge my readers always to
acknowledge that God is in control and that we need to ask that His will
be done, even when it is hard to accept our circumstances.
Prayer: Merciful God, we acknowledge Your infinite presence at all times
in our lives. May we be constantly reminded of Your boundless grace and
compassion. We ask that You would protect us from harm's way. We are
thankful for God moments, because they present rare opportunities for us
to pause and recount Your blessings. Amen.
Margaret Zondo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Thanks to
PresbyCan Daily Devotional
