God Cares About the Small Stuff...

This morning, my wife and I sat chatting about some things that we did as teenagers, both fun and troublesome. For me that entailed many adventures I had as a 17 year old teenager involved in Youth For Christ. I worked in YFC for three years as a teen in the Insight/Impact YFC club at Garinger High, as well as the two years I spent as an intern/employee after graduating. But then, money got tight at YFC Charlotte and they had to let me go; but not without finding me another job in the Builders Building on West Trade. I went to work for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Film Ministry, better known as WORLD WIDE PICTURES.

One of my first major adventures occurred not long after coming on board. At age 19, I was tasked with flying to Pittsburgh, PA., picking up a rental station wagon and driving to 16 nearby towns.  I was to go to their local theatres, pick up two BIG 35mm film cans of our movie, TWO A PENNY, that had been showing at each theatre for the past two weeks. The catch....I had to pick them all up in a day and a half, be back at the Pittsburgh airport in time to check them in as excess baggage for a flight to Omaha, Nebraska. The film cans HAD to be on a flight leaving Pittsburgh to arrive before Noon so that our reps from BGEF could get them distributed for the first night showings.

All seemed to be going reasonably well. I arrived at the airport with 32 cans of film, safely secured in my station wagon. I had about an hour before the flight was due to leave; so all I needed was a parking place, a sky caddie with a big carry-all to get me to check-in and all would be done...but that was not the way it played out.

The Pittsburgh airport in 1969 was rather small with a circular drive to the front of the terminal....and virtually no parking near the entrance to the airport. In fact, when I arrived with my hour to spare, THERE WAS NOT A SPACE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE! I drove around that circle for at least 20 minutes, desperately seeking to find that elusive parking space. As I nervously looked at my watch, realizing I was about to fail at my first WWP assignment, I did something I had never done before...I PRAYED for a parking place to open up at the front door. Not only had I never prayed for a parking space, but I had never prayed for something so small and insignificant in the greater picture we call, LIFE. I mean, how could a great and mighty God have any time to answer a desperate teen's prayer for a place to park...even if I was doing His work and trying to get those film cans on that flight to Omaha?

And then (and I must admit) to my surprise, there it was...the open parking place, right in front the door...and coming out that door was a sky caddie with a big trolley! GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYER!

Even though it seemed small and petty on my part, I realized then that God is in the small things in our lives; but only if we invite Him in. I am sure to this day that God wanted to give me that parking place; but He let me stew in my own efforts, frustrated, anxious and almost suicidal that I was about to fail....until I turned it over to HIM. I am sure that God wanted (even more than me) to see those cans of film get to Omaha. The message in that film would draw thousands of young people to the life-saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; however, I needed to get out of His way and let the Holy Spirit do what I could not...OPEN UP A PARKING SPACE, get those cans checked onto the flight to Omaha and let those on the ground at their destination make the deliveries for the opening of the film that night.

Unfortunately, I was not able to accompany the cans of film because I missed the flight. I had to return the rental car and by the time I made it to the terminal, the flight had boarded and was taxiing down the runway. It was no matter because what God had planned, He flawlessly executed! I spent the night at a hotel in Pittsburgh, then caught a flight the next day back to Charlotte.

The moral of this story and a turning point for me as a young teen, striving to live out my life of faith was really quite simple....

GOD CARES ABOUT THE SMALL STUFF....AND IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF TO HIM!!!!

So the next time you find yourself sweating the small stuff, don't stew in your own efforts to solve the problem...give it to someone wiser, stronger and ready to meet your need as only He can. Give it to one who knows that it is all small stuff when you are a loving, caring, omnipotent GOD....He loves you and He's got whatever you need at His fingertips....you just need to ask!

Oh, by the way, 368 young people in those 16 theaters accepted Christ as their personal Savior on that opening night. If fact, the movie ran for 10 days and over 2500 young people and adults made professions of faith during its run...and it almost missed happening except for a prayer for a parking space!

Still Praying for the Little Things...Thankful for A God Who Cares,

WPQ

Poem for the day...

Are you facing your Goliath

Or a foe that you can't see?

Are you sticking to your battle plan

Or are you about to flee?

Are you confronted by a enemy;

Hemmed in on every side?

Do you wish to stand and fight them

Or  run away and hide?

Do not fear my Christian friend

When at last you've had enough;

Remember it is the Lord you serve

When times get hard and rough...

Just plant your flag of victory

In His solid ground of love;

And even in the smallest things,

He sends answers from above.

For our God is not intimidated

Should things seem big to us;

For He is our MIGHTY KING,

No need to raise a fuss!

Just trust that He is able

To smooth out your broken road;

He's always there to pick you up

To help you bear life's load.

So take heart in the journey

Even when the going gets rough;

For the God we serve stands ready,

EVEN IN THE SMALLEST STUFF!!!!

WPQ © April 2020