Last night 'we' lost the key to our rented minivan. I say 'we' because I don't want to cast blame on anyone in particular, but I know it wasn't 'me!' :) Anyway, after searching the church building, pews, hymnal holders, bathrooms, and car park, we went back to the place we are staying, vanless. Normally, I might find this to be quite annoying, but not today.
You see, last night, my husband preached a message on faith - what faith is, and what faith is not. Of course, according to his definition, waiting for God to reveal where the key is does not count as faith, for faith, as demonstrated by the patriarchs of our Faith, is God speaking, us listening and obeying completely. I totally agree with that definition. So, I am not going to say I have FAITH that God will show us were the key is. However, I do believe God and that God is who He says He is, therefore, since God is all-knowing, He must know where that key is! So, right now, I feel like I'm involved in a big game of hide and seek. God didn't hide the key, but He does know where it's at. I'm hoping and even praying that He will reveal it to us today.
I mentioned the message last night because one of the points of the message was about being right where God wants you to be then bad things happening. Now, losing a key is not the end of the world, but it is an inconvenience, especially when the vehicle doesn't belong to you. I could think of a lot worse things to happen, so right now I am appreciating this being our 'bad thing.' Now the question is, how do we handle this? Of course, the sensible thing would be to solve the problem. No key, so get another key - problem solved. My hubby, like most men, likes to fix the problem. So his immediate impulse was to work on getting another key at midnight last night. My inclination, on the other hand, was to wait. Wait until morning. Wait until the light of day has a chance to show us what we could not see in the dark. My husband, the problem-solver, didn't want to wait, but I think out of frustration, exhausting, and lack of will to fight, he agreed to wait with me. He was waiting until morning...........I was waiting on God.
Now, this might sound a little hokey, but I do have my reasons. You see, just a couple of weeks ago, this same key was once again missing! Our 13 year old needed to get some things out of the van so he could spend the night with a friend. So, while my hubby and I took our Sunday afternoon nap, our teenager used the key to get his belongings, then headed out. An hour or so later, we get up, dressed, and ready to leave for church, when we realize that the key had not been returned to it's original spot! Of course, we couldn't reach anyone by phone, so the hunt was on. As we searched the house, I remembered something I had dreamed during my nap........I had dreamed that my husband told our son to put the key in the trunk(boot) of the van. As the thought came to me, I knew my husband would never say that. So, I didn't even mention it to him, but out of curiosity, I had to go look for myself. As I walked to the van, I thought 'this is crazy, but I hope it's there!' Sure enough, the door was unlocked, and there, in the middle of the floor, was the single key to the van! I had a good little chuckle as I walked back into the house and told the tale to my husband. He thought I was nuts but was so glad to have the key.
Last night, as we searched again for this lonely key, I tried really hard to remember if I had dreamed anything else that would reveal it's location! I had not, but I was reminded that God knew where it was. So, in an hour or so, I'll be heading back to church, anticipating God's revelation to us. I don't know what's going to happen. All I do know is that I've enjoyed this mishap. It has made me think about the attributes of my God, the fact that He cares about the details of my life, and He is who He says HE is, no matter what.
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