Faith

When you learn of a consequence that is about to happen, you can rest assured it is a consequence of someone's action or inaction. Sometimes the consequences of inaction can be as big or devastating as the consequences of an action. One cannot avoid consequences by doing nothing. Doing nothing is a choice too, you see.

I learned of a very severe consequence about to happen when my youngest daughter was in the hospital to give birth to her first and only child. All things seemed normal as I went to work early that day. About mid-morning my wife and son-in-law took our daughter to the hospital. My wife had decided she would call me to come to the hospital when she was sure it was time. She did call, but the news was scary. The baby was moving into position to be born, with its umbilical cord wrapped around its neck. The birthing process would strangle the baby, and the process was too far along to do anything about it, surgical or otherwise.

Now I don't know what choices or decisions were made that led to this situation. Was it something my daughter ate? Did she exercise too much, or not enough? Did her doctor overlook something, or give her a medicine she shouldn't have had? Was she exposed to some virus that caused this? The point is, there's just no way to know. I remember thinking this was a scary time and that I felt very helpless. Besides, knowing the cause would not have lessened the severity of the consequence at all. It would not do any good to know at this point or any other time if it were not in my power to control it.

I told my boss I was going to the hospital, and left work. It took about three minutes for me to get to the parking lot and find my car. I was worrying, thinking how tragic this was while I was getting into the car. I cranked the car and headed for the hospital, a ten minute drive. I suppose I had started to pray for intervention about the time I got to the car, or perhaps while I was walking to the car. About two minutes down the road, I remember saying aloud, "Lord, if it ain't too late, and if you're willing, I really do want my daughter and grand-baby to be O.K. and healthy. I know you can, I just don't know what your plans are. So, can I have them both?"

At that instant I saw the smiling face of God in the sky. I knew that he had said yes, I knew for sure that everything was all right now. I walked into the waiting room, my wife said, "Every thing's O.K. They don't know how, but the baby just turned and unwrapped itself". I said, "I knew it was O.K., I'd already been told".

Now, I have tried many times to describe that face, but the only thing I can really describe is the smile. I usually describe it like this. Back when you were small and wanted something so very bad and you ask your mom and dad. You were not sure if you should have this, but you really did want it. Then all of a sudden, you see mom or dad or both would smile at you, and you knew you were going to get this thing you wanted so desperately. When mom or dad smiled, it was a smile of love for you, and they gave you what you wanted. That's exactly how it was with God. His was a smile of love for me, and he gave me my daughter and granddaughter. Yeah, it was a girl. I tell you this because I know that God does intervene now and then. He does not intervene all the time, because the laws are necessary to keep the world working, it keeps things in balance. So, almost all the time, the choices will result in absolute consequences.

Here's the little secret that enables you to ask for and receive divine intervention, "FAITH".