When God has Control, Life’s a Much Better Roll

We do well to put God in the driver’s seat of our life, and leave our hands off the steering wheel. Our weak judgment and limited view can never compete with His all-wise control. Yes, sometimes God’s will is so different from what we have in mind, and we cannot see why He would desire things to happen that way. It helps if we think of ourselves as tools in His hands. We must repeatedly say, “Your will be done.” Then we need to take a deep breath and do whatever He asks of us.

Let us never forget that God’s plan for us is indeed better, in every perspective, than our plan for ourselves. Following are some of my experiences that illustrate this concept.

My Story

In June 2017, my boss at the bike shop told me that my days of work would come to a close around the end of the month. Shortly afterward, a friend requested driving help for a four-week trip to the West Coast. They wanted to leave at the end of the month. So, I jumped along.

When we got back, I had three other out-of-state weekend trips in the next month—all for which I got paid to drive. Otherwise I was unemployed, which freed me to finish the second edition of this book.

Now I had no job, and the marketing payments for my book kept coming due. Then, an expected payment failed to show on my credit card statement. Some research revealed that what I thought was a twelve-month campaign turned out to be a nine-month campaign. With my financial situation at the time, I was quite pleased about this. However, the exciting thing was that the amount I paid was still fifteen percent less than the nine-month campaign’s listed price. Upon inquiry, I was told, “Congratulations, it is all paid for!” I was not about to argue.

When I got done with the book and was running out of money, I started looking for a job and got picked up by a local framing contractor. Then, in February 2018, we ran out of work, and I again took up the “no work” status. I noted that if income did not turn up, I would have credit card debt within a month unless I borrowed more money from my dad.

A day later, the bike I had on consignment at the bike shop sold. The next week when I stopped in at my workplace to get some paperwork, I found an unexpected profit-sharing check for the previous year. I figured with this, I now have enough money to make it through to my next paycheck (that is, if I keep my spending minimized).

Then, as if I had the money, I purchased more marketing for my book. But then, doesn’t God provide me with money when it gets tight? And He did once more. We got work again, and I sold one hundred books to a local grocery peddler.

About three months later, in May, I had less than $500 in my name. On top of that, my boss had forgotten to do paychecks (They were a day late). But it was a warm day, so on the way back from our job I swung the truck in at McDonald’s to purchase milkshakes for our crew. After placing the order inside, we waited a long time. I finally asked them what’s going on. They had dropped our order by accident; so, they refunded my money and gave us our shakes as an apology.

These experiences greatly aided me in trusting God with the details of my life.

 Whatever you need,
 The Savior takes heed
 And God answers prayer.
 This promise is true,
 It’s written for you,
 If only you dare.
 To trust in the Lord.
 Depend on His word,
 Believe that He cares.
 He’ll show the way out,
 And settle your doubt
 By answering prayer.
  
 When men pray today,
 God opens the way
 And shows them His will.
 He wants us to know,
 The right way to go
 His work to fulfill.
 Though dark be the night,
 He promised the Light
 If we would be true.
 To heed His sweet voice,
 When given a choice
 And follow Him through.
                                   —Leon H. Ellis

(This article comes out of Chapter 15 of The Great Dilemma.)