Apostolic Friends Forum - God-fearing, Bible-reading Man

[I]It seems there was a God-fearing, Bible-reading man who lived on a farm in the land of Nowhere Special. One day in Ordinary Time rains came, floods followed, and the man was in fear of his life. So he climbed onto the roof of his house to get away from the raging water, and there he prayed to God to save him. While he was praying ,some people came by in a rowboat and offered him a place in it, but he continued praying, saying, "God will save me."

A while later when the waters were rising even higher, a helicopter came by and lowered a ladder for him to climb in. But, he waved them away saying, "God will save me." Well, as you might guess, the man drowned. And because God is patient and merciful, he was taken up to heaven. But when he came face-to-face with God, he was angry and said, "God, why did you let me down? I believed in you and trusted you, but you never came to save me." And God said, "My son, I sent you a rowboat and a helicopter. Wasn't that enough?"[/I] author unknown

I don't know about you but there have been times in my life when I felt like someone caught in a flood with raging water rising up to drown me. Like the man in the story, I, too, prayed to God to save me. In God's own time and God's own way someone came along or something unexpected happened to save me despite myself.

I thank God that I am learning that He is full of surprises. Maybe what I thought were threatening floodwaters are just the way life is. Maybe when I was faced with illness, trouble or strife it's just God's way of rescuing me from drowning in partial truths and mediocrity and fear.

I'm glad God has a sense of humor. That way God can laugh with me instead of at me.