Published on 07/20/2006

It's been said that coincidence is when God prefers to remain anonymous. My story is proof of his providence. Each happenstance has been part of his plan, though I seldom saw that plan at the time. To finish the story:

Commentary

I intended to enroll at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary after college, but my father died during my senior year. I felt I should stay closer to my mother in Houston, so I enrolled at Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth instead. Janet happened to get a job on the support staff of First Baptist Church in Arlington, so we attended there. New Hope Baptist Church in Mansfield was without a pastor, and our pastor, Dr. Charles Wade, sent my resume. They happened to recognize his name, and pulled my resume from the stack of over 100 the church had received and called me as their pastor.

Southwestern Seminary happened to need a faculty member in Philosophy of Religion, and wanted someone with pastoral experience, so they invited me to their faculty. Then First Baptist Church in Midland needed an interim pastor, so Russell Dilday, the president of the seminary, recommended me. Against all our plans, I eventually became pastor there. Then to Atlanta, and then to Dallas. How different my ministry would be if New Hope hadn't recognized Dr. Wade's name.

I have learned that if we walk in God's purpose today, we will have his provision when today becomes tomorrow.

Many years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, a pilot was in the air when he heard a noise which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. The rat could be gnawing through a vital cable of the plane. It was a very serious situation. The pilot did not know what to do. He was more than two hours from anywhere suitable for landing.

Then he remembered that a rat is a rodent. It was not made for the heights; it was made to live on and under the ground. And so the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet, then another and another until he was over 20,000 feet up. The gnawing ceased. The rat was dead. It could not survive the atmosphere of those heights. More than two hours later the pilot brought the plane safely to the landing field and found the dead rat.

Worry is a rodent. It cannot live in the secret place of the Most High God. It cannot breathe in the atmosphere of prayer and trust and Scripture and worship. Worry dies when we take it to the Lord. This is the promise of God.