I promise this will be one of my shorter posts. It’s just that I’m having one of those days where I need to remind myself of a parable that comes up every now and then, usually after some sort of disaster.
There are several variations, but it reminds me how complicated we tend to make things, when the obvious answer is often overlooked.
The tale goes something like this.
A man of great faith is warned of a looming storm that’s forecast to bring tremendous rains and flash flooding. As the waters rise, his neighbor comes by in a 4×4 offering to take the man and his family to safety. The man declines stating “Thank you, friend, but God will save me.”
A few hours later, the nearby river breaks its crest, and the waters begin to breach the first floor of his home. Reaching the second floor another neighbor pulls up to the window in a boat, offering to bring him and his family to safety. The man again declines repeating “Thank you, friend, but God will save me.”
Barely an hour later, the waters have encroached upon the second floor and he and his family have no choice but to climb to the roof. A helicopter pilot spots them and offers to fly them all to safety. The man agrees to send his wife and children, but opts to stay, where he again states, “Thank you, friend, but God will save me.”
After succumbing to the waters, the man eventually drowns and finds himself in heaven where he meets with God and asks, “Lord, why didn’t you save me?” God simply replies, “I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter. What more did you want of me?”
There are many different ways this same tale has been spun, but for me, it helps me remember that God sometimes places the obvious answer in front of us. We’re often so hoping for a grand display of miraculous proportion that we overlook the simple signals He sends our way.
I hope this brings a little piece of encouragement to whoever needs it today. We’re all trying to find our place and purpose in this crazy world and I pray we can all recognize the little things He uses to point us in the right direction.