Getting Ahead of God

It's funny how you remember things that happened years ago as if they were events from yesterday. Especially if they still bring a tear to your eye, from laughter of course!

The story goes like this: I was around 14 years old and my brother 12, when my dad and our 'Royal Rangers' boys club commander took ten of us on a rock finding expedition. You see, my dad was really getting into 'rock polishing' and needed some knew agates to cut and tumble. So, we packed up for a Saturday trip to a secluded spot a couple hours away in the Panhandle of Nebraska and called it an 'outing.' Upon our arrival, we found a huge mound sticking up in the middle of a prairie. It was a naturally occuring phenomenon in which the earth kind of belched itself into a hill-like structure, something that takes centuries to occur. Scattered on top were various and weird looking rocks. It was our task to find several bucket fulls and bring them down for the men to examine and cull.

Now, boys tend to have a relatively short attention span, (remember we are talking pre-play station days) so it didn't take long to find other things to do, just out of sight of the men a couple of hundred feet below. What we found ended up being a blast. It was a long, weather beaten shoot or wash, that went from the top of the mound down to flat ground. We found that if a guy can get a decent running start, he can slide wildly to the bottom. Remember too, that these activities also have to have an element of peril or they really mean nothing to boys who are attempting to work their way into manhood. (There has to be a danger present that could prevent manhood from ever happening!) In this case, there was a long patch of flat catus plants just at the end of the 'slide out' of this crazy shoot. The needles on Nebraska flat cacti can reach a lenth of about two sharp inches.

Here is what happened and, there will be a spiritual point, so hang in there. Several of us older boys had taken a few turns at the slide when the younger ones came over to see what we were doing. My little brother was included in the group that had been on the other side of the mound and didn't yet know the rules to the adventure. Now, I don't quite remember if we chose to keep the danger element hidden, but I really think that my brother just wanted to be seen as being as brave and adventurous as the rest of us. Anyway, he never got the message about the cactus patch. He dropped his bucket and took off running for the slide. There was no attempt to stop him...... It was the best, fastest, and most daring slide of the day. Man, he flew. It was like fire was flying from the back side of his blue-jeans as he rocketed toward the bottom. Slow motion took over as his slide continued across the flat. Then, all sound, all breathing, all activity ceased as the cactus patch went up in a cloud of dust. S-i-l-e-n-c-e.....was followed by a blood curdling scream as the realization of what really happened to the back side of his blue-jeans finally registered. I, to this day, can't remember laughing any harder than I did at that moment. Of course, the adventure was pretty much over at that point as dad and the commander had to spend the last remaing hour of the trip plucking cactus needles from by brothers behind. The kid couldn't walk right for a week.

What is the spiritual lesson, you ask? I don't know what lessons my brother learned that day. I do know that, thirty-five years later, I am still fighting through the process of understanding that it is not a good idea to get ahead of God. So many times, I have tried to 'get-er-done' in God's work without really waiting for the proper go-ahead or to-do-list. Oh yes, the intention is good and the adventure-seeking is great, but it always ends in a cactus patch of sorts. The scripture reminds us that "our times are in his hands!" (Psalm 31:15) That means He has a plan for our times, for our moments, and for our mission. Yes, there is a place for vision and dreams, and even planning to reach your goals. But, don't get ahead of HIS plan. That means that it may be necessary, at times, to hold back and wait for the Lord to actually give us the 'go-ahead.' With it comes the empowerment to accomplish his work, as well as the proper alertness to keep us from cacti that line the path.

It really is okay to stop and pray for guidance, wisdom, and a new infilling of the Spirit, even when you know that the Lord has revealed his next adventure. Faith says step out. Wisdom says, step softly! Don't get ahead of God or you may have to stop and have the needles pulled out. (I commend you on an adventurous spirit, whatever the case!!!)
Pastor Jim