When I started college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life; it was just the next logical step. At the time I was dabbling in the hippy lifestyle and drugs. My life resembled a little boat adrift at sea without a rudder or anchor.
Then I called out to Jesus: “If you are there, do something in my life! I don’t know what to do.” A week later, I had a vision that I was standing on God’s hand. My first impression was, “I’m not alone.” I was the same person—small, frail, and still a bit confused—but I was not alone!
I have often reflected on that pivotal moment and thought about the difference in facing the challenges of life alone or facing them under God’s loving care.
Pastor Kenny Rader commented: “The God factor is that element of dependence on God that we usually leave out until we are sinking, and the only way out is God.” Self-reliance seems to be a part of human nature. As kids we liked our independence, and we raced out the door to play with our friends. But as soon as we fell and busted our knees, we called out: “Daddy, help! I’m bleeding! Come quick!” How good it felt to know that our loved one was always close and quick to respond when we needed help.
But the God factor in our lives can be so much more. Most of our days are a succession of little occurrences, such as when God reminds us to call on a lonely neighbor, or leads us to take the subway instead of the bus and we meet an old friend we’d lost touch with, or we receive a bonus at work that covers an unexpected expense.
My favorite demonstrations of the God factor are when something special happens—a little blessing comes my way or a secret prayer is answered, something that is just between me and Him. At such times I can almost sense Him smiling and we laugh together. With God, there is no such thing as a “coincidence.” Rather, it is His hand upon our lives.
Whether we are facing a crisis or walking easily through our day, the Lord wants to be a part of our lives. He loves us! We are standing in His hand.