There was a man who lived beside a river. One dark afternoon the rains began, and as the next morning rolled around, the river began to creep closer and closer to his house. By the time the sun was setting again, the waters were on his porch. He began to pray, "God, please save me from this flood." All through the night the waters rose, and by the next sunrise, the man was on his roof. He pleaded with God, "Father, oh please, I know you are all powerful. I know you will save me from this flood!"
A little while later another man, sitting on a large log, floated close to the house, and he called up, "HEY! This log can hold two. Climb down and lets float to safety." The first gentleman looked a the precarious log and called back, "Thanks, but God is going to save me!" So off the log went.
The waters rose a little higher, and a guy in a row boat came along. "Hey!" the guy called out, "Climb down and get in my boat. We can row to safety together." The man on the roof thought about how hard it would be to row that boat through the debris filled flood waters and called back, "Thanks, but I prayed, and I know God is going to save me." And the waters continued to rise. The man was a little scared, but he had faith.
So when the helicopter pilot spotted him and hovered over his house, shouting through the megaphone, "Sir, we're going to lower this rope. Grab hold and we'll carry you to safety," the man on the roof bravely called back, "My God is all powerful, he calmed the storm and walked on water. I believe that He alone will save me!" And the waters rose higher still.
Finally, as the man clung desperately to the very top of his chimney and felt his grip becoming looser and looser, he cried out one last time, "Oh God. You alone are the creator of the river and the rain! I prayed to you and with all my heart I believed you would save me. Why have you forsaken me?!" And God called back, "I sent you a log, a boat and a helicopter....what more do you want?!"
In June of 2012 we made the decision to put our house on the market and prepare to move into a campus ministry house for international students. We prayed, "Oh God, we know you will sell our house." In August 2012, we took a step of faith and moved out of our beautiful home and into ISCA house. We prayed, "Oh God, you have clearly worked in all of our real estate dealings. We know you will sell our house."
In January 2013 we looked at our dwindling savings account and we decided to contact a property management company to lease our house. We prayed, "Oh God, you must not want us to sell the house, so we'll get someone else to help us." Ten days later, the company cancelled our contract because we wouldn't pay for the incredibly expensive insurance they required. We were angry and hurt, but we prayed, "Okay God, you obviously want us to be patient so you can sell the house without a realtor and save us some money," so we listed For-Sale-By-Owner.
In mid February we were contacted by another ministry interested in trading ISCA house for our house. We prayed, "Thank you God! We knew you would sell our house! We have strength to hold on a little longer."
In March we were contacted by someone interested in leasing the house, but we said, "Thanks, but God is going to sell our house." In May a couple looked at the house and then offered to lease it. We of course replied, "Thanks, but our God is all powerful, and he wants to free us from this house."
On June 3 the ministry said, "Sorry...we can't trade houses. The numbers just don't work." We prayed, "Father, you created all things and you own the camels on a thousand hills. You can save us from drowning under the weight of this mortgage."
On Wednesday, June 5, I received a phone call from a man interested in our house. "I was given your number by (the property management company that made us so mad in January). We have rented from them for years, but the house is no longer structurally sound, and we have to move out. They thought you might be willing to lease to us long term." And we prayed, "Thank you, God, for the helicopter!!!!!"
As is usually the case, I had a plan. I expected God to do what I wanted him to do. I was ready to say, "Well done, good and faithful God!" as he fulfilled my expectations.
He had other plans. Plans that I don't think I fully understand. Plans that I know are bigger than what I see on the surface. Plans that bring Him glory and will fill me with awe and wonder. As I hang onto the rope and the helicopter lifts me away from the stress of the tens of thousands of dollars we've paid for that house to sit empty, I am so very thankful for his continued faithfulness. I am excited about what the future holds. I'm enjoying the view from God's helicopter : )
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