Friday, September 6, 2019

Collision Course



“At the proper time, we’ll reap a harvest if we don’t give up." ~ Galatians 6:9

They were on a collision course of sorts.
DeAndre started a car-cleaning business when he was just 18 years old.  He rented a garage, hired helpers, and created advertising brochures.  The business prospered.  He intended to sell it and use the proceeds to pay for college, so he was thrilled when a buyer expressed interest.
After some negotiations, it seemed that the transaction would happen.  But at the last minute, the deal collapsed.  DeAndre felt like an undertaker watching a man being swallowed by a shark.
“God must have a better plan,” he thought without much conviction.  It wouldn’t be until almost 17 months later that a new potential buyer came forward with a unique idea.
Luke, it turned out, had done time in prison.  Illegal drug use had left him a shell of a man.  His marriage had failed.  And after multiple charges, he was sentenced to 9 years behind bars.
He knew that he needed to change but also knew that he was powerless to change on his own.  He enrolled in Prison Fellowship’s spiritual development classes.  It was there Luke came to realize he’d been given unique talents and abilities.
With God’s provision, Luke improved both his life skills and his character.  But that was only the beginning.  He learned how to create the business plan, and once paroled, shared it with DeAndre.
With a small business loan and the backing of his Prison Fellowship sponsor, his plan relied on ex-cons.
Sure, he’d heard all the reason not to hire former prisoners.  But his heart (and some research) suggested that employees with criminal backgrounds were much less likely to quit their jobs and no more likely to misbehave or get fired than non-ex-offenders.  And he knew from personal experience that a failure to obtain legitimate employment is one of the strongest correlates to criminal recidivism.
This collision course had a very happy ending.  DeAndre went on to earn his diploma.  Luke earned the respect of men who he’d give a second chance.
It’s normal to be disappointed when God’s timing and design for our lives don’t match our own expectations.  But what’s more important - achieving our hopes and dreams, or our love for God?
DeAndre understood the true nature of life, that you can't judge any event as the "end.  Our life doesn't play out like fictional works.  There aren't definite breaks that separate one moment from another; there's always tomorrow.
There are a million effects which can arise from one event.  Good and bad are interconnected.  They’re two sides of the same coin.  If things seem perfect, they aren't.  If it seems like a disaster in your corner of the world, it's not.  Things can change in an instant, at all times.
And they will … at some point or another.
Lord, give me the patience to wait on Your plans.  Silence my racing thoughts and self-imposed time limits.  Thank you for showing me that putting You first is what’s best for me.  Amen