"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!"
Ephesians 3:20-21 has long been a favorite verse of mine. It often energizes my prayer life as it reminds me Who I'm bringing my requests to. "Immeasurably more . . ." Doesn't it make you think big? Really, really BIG. Not only BIG, but bigger--more than we could ask, more than we could imagine. My brain hurts.
I've been thinking a lot about my time as a teacher in the last 5 years. I've also been thinking a lot about the things I don't ask for that God does for me, little things that it doesn't occur to me to imagine. I needed to get some work done on my car this week and it was going to take most of the day. When the brother still lived here, I could count on him to follow me to the repair shop, take me to work, and bring me back. Even now that he's moved, there are still people I could call on for help, but I hesitate to ask because it's not a small inconvenience to pick me up from the repair shop at 7a.m., drive me to the next town for work, drive back into Lubbock for wherever they work, come back out to get me, and then bring back into to town. Whew! I know many people who would gladly do that for me and wouldn't want me to think twice about it, but it's still a lot to ask.
So I asked Emma. Emma teaches in the classroom right next door to mine. She has been a tremendous help to me over the last few years as I've sought to navigate the the treacherous waters of Special Education and all of its paperwork. More than that, she has become a tremendous friend. Emma also lives just down the road from me and has helped me a couple of times now to get to work and back when I have found myself needing transportation. I've often heard it is no coincidence that we are in the time and place we find ourselves. It's no coincidence that I started getting to know Emma in workshops and meetings a year before I'd be working in her building. Or that my classroom ended up being right next door to hers and she lives in Lubbock, just down the street from me. Am I saying that God provided Emma so I could have a ride to school when my car needed new tires? No. But He provided Emma and in providing Emma, He has taken care of me. He provided a model, an advisor, a mentor, a friend, and something as insignificant as a ride to work. As grateful as I am for Emma's generous spirit, I am more grateful for the 30 minutes of visiting in the car that I got with a friend with whom I don't get enough time. Nothing is insignificant about that.
6 comments:
Cool, I am glad you have a friend like Emma. I do believe God works in our lives every day when we are not looking or watching for it. He is with us in the little bity things and the big things of life.
I am glad God gave you Emma, and I am sure you are as much a blessing to Emma as she is to you.
Celia, that's something I pray for. I think I actually get to help her out this week!
I've always loved these verses. I like them because I find comfort knowing that if He is able to provide more than I can ask or imagine ... then that means He's thinking beyond my thinking. Which means He's answering the prayers my heart doesn't know to even pray for ... and better yet ... the prayers I'm unwilling to pray because of my limited faith. These verses provide comfort that He is looking ahead to take care of my path before I even get to that spot.
Kind-of like providing your relationship with Emma before you even worked at the same school. I'm so glad that He gave you someone that could provide something good for your heart.
How wonderful that your love for God and your faith lets you see the way God has taken care of you...even in the little things! Sometimes we can take those for granted.
God is soooooo good to us...by providing before we can even know that we have a need. And if He is that good to us in the little things, can you imagine how much He wants to do for us in the BIG things?? (immeasurably beyond what we can imagine!!!!) That makes my heart smile!
God always provides. I am glad you have Emma to look after you!
Hello Lisa... I found a friend like that here in Playa Azul from eating a hamburger one night. I love the way God always loos after us. And now I am going to have an opportunity to help her with Al-Anon. lapistolera1
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