“ I am a firm believer in the Providence of God . It is His purposeful provision for sustaining and governing the world .¹ ”
I can ’ t verbalise what happened because I doubt all the parts of consciousness were connected . I heard my mouth say yes before my brain was able to slosh through the surge of emotions that flooded . It came out so fast I think he was uncertain if I heard him . For whatever reason , he asked again . This split second of reverb gave me enough time to regain my composure and pretend to be unaffected . “ Sure ,” I shrugged , waiting with bated breath for his next move . He would need my number if he was serious .
He didn ’ t ask for my number but said we could talk after my meeting . An acknowledgement and reminder that I had my discipleship leader waiting to resume our study . I sat down flushed ; stilling myself from the flood of emotions that swirled in my body . Could this be happening ? I was excited and hopeful . “ Lord , what are you doing ?” I thought to myself . I had never experienced this before . Had God put the thoughts I had in my mind to prepare me ?
He did get my number , we met for dinner in short order . He was a believer , intelligent , strong , prayerful , and familyoriented . What followed was talks , laughter , bible-reading , excitement , fear , questions and prayer . My family prayed . My friends who kept me accountable also prayed for me .
That same year , I decided to take a chance on an opportunity for furthering my studies . An amazing opportunity came up that I had heard of many times but previously felt no need to try out for . I applied and was short-listed . During the application process , a school I found with my area of study rested heavily in my mind . It was the only school I applied for and I received a quick response of an unconditional offer from the Head of the Department . I was excited at how the pieces were coming together .
I prepped for the interview . My friends and family bolstered my confidence with their support and prayer . I went into the interview calm and ready . I trusted God . This didn ’ t start out as my plan but He had seemingly worked this out and all signs pointed in this direction .
Providence
I am a firm believer in the Providence of God . It is His purposeful provision for sustaining and governing the world .¹ The Westminster Catechism of Faith goes on to explain God ’ s providence as the nature of “ God the Creator [ Who ] upholds , directs , disposes and governs all things ”.
In the scriptures and in life , I have seen the hand of God guide , uphold , and direct many things . This knowledge fosters a feeling of safety and trust that our lives aren ’ t aimlessly fluttering about nor are they at the whim or behest of our folly nor the impotence of others . The challenge with the reality of Providence is that included in God ’ s purposeful governance is the understanding / implication /… that in His wisdom He disposes of things as well . Sometimes without explanation . This is where the Christian faces the real work of surrender and trust .
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