It Goes Down Easy

Photo source here.

On December 19th of 2011, I wrote an entry entitled CROSSROAD. (See this link)

It was a time in my life I found my place in a crossroad and a dilemma where I had two equally unacceptable alternatives.  Unacceptable because either choice gives me the complete answer I was looking for. I went on a travel to clear my head, pray and search for a definite answer. I did not find it. A very good friend of mine told me how the entry brought him sadness because it started with a lot of searching but ended with no answer. Sad indeed. However, sadness isn't the only thing the whole experience brought me. Here's an excerpt of the entry:

 

I realized that the answer will not magically come to me thru a burning bush, or a lightning, or a talking fish under the sea, or a star formation or an angel. God can reveal Himself through the simplest most unexpected ways.

The answer? There was no answer. Not today.

God wants me to be still and know that He is God. He wants me to hold on, wait and keep my faith in Him. He wants to tell me that the answer will not come when I want it to come. It will come in His time. He does not want me to get the answer that time when I was desperately looking for it but He wants me to savor the moments of the travel and be happy about the experience. I looked back. Oh boy! I was overjoyed, overwhelmed and still star struck by the experience. I am just so glad that even though I was consumed by my quest to find an answer to my question, I still found joy in every moment of it.

I was busy finding the answer that I forgot my faith should be in Him and not on my faith... It’s funny how we sometimes rely too much on our own wisdom and ways and pretend to ourselves that we are trying to search for God’s will. When we rely too much on our own, we lose our chance to witness more of His miracles, His mysterious ways and surprises.

I am still on a crossroad. I still don’t know where to go and which to choose but I rest in the fact that my Father is in control and that soon enough I will know where to go. I know everything’s gonna be alright! EVERYTHING.

The good news is - I got the answer after more than a year ago; at a time when I did not expect it to arrive. This experience taught me a handful of things. They are as follows:

1.  God will honor the level of our faith. There is no standard weight of faith. Even my chicken faith was
     honored. Even the Bible says that a faith like a grain of mustard seed can move mountains. (Matt. 17:20)
     If we come to Him with our level of faith, He will meet us.

2.  He knows. We don't. Nobody does. We may think we know what's best for us. We may also think our
     closest people know what's best for us. We're wrong. We have such limited vision of our circumstances
     and what's coming. His thoughts are higher than ours and His ways higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:9)
     We may ask around and get advice but ultimately we should leave everything to His will. If His plan is to
     prosper us and to give us hope and a future and not to harm us, who else can we go to? (Jer. 29:11)

3. God's timing is perfect timing. If I got what I had asked for at the time that I asked for it over a year  
    ago, I don't think everything will go this smooth. As I was waiting and praying, God was molding my faith
    in Him while supplying me with everything I need including peace and assurance that He will answer it. I
    could not imagine receiving this answer at some other time. Now is the perfect timing and am glad He
    gave me the patience to wait for it.

4. When God blesses, He adds no sorrow. How do you know what you got is from Him? He adds no
    sorrow. He orchestrates everything in unison. He lets you enjoy it without guilt, no hurting others and no
    hiding. It is given to you for you to enjoy it.(Prov. 10:22)

5. Love the Lord and everything will work together for good. God can move things around, touch people,
    and amazingly turn things around to your favor if you cast all your cares in Him. For everything works
    together for good for those who love the Lord. (Rom. 8:28)

It took over a year to get my answer. But when it was ready to happen, according to His will, it happened so fast right before my eyes like a movie. It feels both good and right.

And as one liquor commercial says, which I will turn around and use to my advantage and for the good, "If it feels right, it goes down easy." 


PS - The answer came to me on the week of our Church's 2013 Prayer and Fasting. Coincidence? Nah!