An Empty Field

As most of you know, the Harvest Carnival was a great success. We had a wonderful outdoor service Sunday morning even with the cooler temperature. Suzie Sweetman, Johnny Frame and Darryl came and sang to God. What a great time! Did you miss it? Well, the tent is down and the barbeque is put away and the bleachers have disappeared.
So, if you are available to get over there today, all you will see is the empty fair ground with well-worn grass. You missed it.
There are many things we miss in life. Think back. I’m not talking about that commercial where the fellow keeps saying he misses things because he is cleaning his glasses and flings them in the garbage. He should clean them after the fact. Maybe he is just a little obsessive compulsive.
But there are things we miss in life. Every one of us can relate to a time, when we missed something because we had the date mixed up. I remember showing up for a party only to be greeted by an empty street. I called the house and casually asked, only to be told it was the day before. He never knew I was calling him from out front of his house.
My greatest fear is forgetting a wedding I am supposed to officiate at. Hasn’t happened yet and I pray it never will. We miss out on other things due to too many commitments. I’m committed, not to the Ontario Hospital, to this and that and the other thing. I have to say no to some things as I prioritize which activity is most important. After all we are not able to be in two places at once.
We miss appointments due to traffic or car trouble. Remember when cars were not as reliable as they are today, especially tires? When I worked at Ford, I had a problem with one particular car and one set of tires and rims. At 5:30 in the morning I became very proficient at changing a tire and could do it in five minutes.
We also miss many other things due to us not being in the right place at the right time. You’ve said it and so have I, “I wish I had been there.” That is the positive side and the negative is, “If I had been two seconds earlier . . . ” You finish the sentence.
I want to tell all of you, there is no wrong time or missing something. God in His wisdom places us in the right place at the right time to experience the right things for our benifit. It is where we can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is in control and we know He cares for us. Weither it’s good or bad, God knows what we need and what is right for us. Because, ultimately life is a series of events that steer us closer to Him. Kind of like a car with no steering wheel. We think we are directing it but in actual fact God is doing the steering. He is moving us forward and moving us forward to Him.
The next time you miss getting in an accident or miss falling down stairs, repeat the line after me;
“If it wasn’t for the grace of God I would be . . . ”
And if it wasn’t for the grace of God we would not see heaven. My prayer is that none of us miss that journey.
Rob