What If?

Why am I anxious?
Why am I restless?
    I trust you!
And I will praise you again
    because you help me,
    and you are my God.

Psalm 42:11

 

"What if?" is a question I hear quite a lot.  Do we ask this because we want to be certain?  Or could it be that we are fearful of making a decision?  Or could it be that we are just bad at relying on the love of God for us? 

 

We like to have all the answers before we decide and we like to have all the pieces in place before we move.  You have probably heard the question, whether or not you have pondered it, "What would you do if you could not fail?"  Go ahead....ponder that for a moment.

 

Now...think of how much time and energy we waste by doubting and filling the air with "What If?" questions.  Have you ever heard the song "Blessed Assurance"?  God has promised us in Romans 8:28 that we cannot fail.  Granted, there will be times when the outcome will be much different than we expected, but God will not allow us to fail.  

 

What if I encourage someone and they bite my head off?  Do it anyway and let God deal with the other person.

 

What if I offer someone guidance from my own experience and they don't take it?  Do it anyway.  And let God do with it what He will with the other person.  

 

What if I reach out to someone and they reject my offer?  Do it anyway and let God deal with them.

 

I may have mentioned this before, and then again I may not have, I crochet afghans.  They are called BUBBAs (Butt Ugly But Big Afghans) and I give them away.  I crochet them while I have quiet time and when I am contemplating.  The very first one I made I gave to my Bride as a wedding gift 18 years ago.  She enjoyed it for a while and gave it to a lady who was starting her life over after spending time in SisterCare.  Now, either of them could have laughed and rejected the BUBBA.  But they didn't.  Over time, this has become a ministry project (with a Facebook Page too).  

 

When I came to the Sheriff's Department, I kept making them.  I was terrified to give away the first one.  People would think I was weird or something (and I am weird, so there).  One of our retired Deputies was in the hospital dying, I gave his wife the first one.  Last year when Sheriff Lott took his Oath of Office, this dear lady came up to me after the ceremony to thank me for that BUBBA and to let me know that she still finds comfort in it.

 

What if I had ignored God's prompting and not given that BUBBA away?  But God promised that He would make sure I did not fail, and He was absolutely right.  Here it is 11 years and some 50+ BUBBAs later and God is still proving Himself true to His Word!