Fortune Cookie

Jeremiah 29: 11

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

I would like to tell you another story today hoping that you not only enjoy it but that you find inspiration and hope in it. This story is about my friend Nathan.

Nathan is a Human Resources director. In January, his corporate headquarters surprised everyone with the announcement that the facility he is employed at was going to close. It was a stunning announcement. The planned execution date, October. Nathan had a facility full of folks who would shortly be without employment, but he also had his own career repercussions to think about. Of course, if you are the HR director of a facility that is about to close, you’ve got a lot of worries and stress. That is where faith in Christ and his Father are so important.

Fast forward to the Saturday after July 4th. Nathan’s wife suggested they go for a ride. Then, despite having a refrigerator full of leftovers from July 4th, they decided to stop at a favorite Chinese restaurant. At the end of the meal, the waitress delivered two fortune cookies to their table. They each took their cookie and opened them. Nathan’s wife, Penny, looked at him and wanted to know what was wrong. Nathan shared his fortune, “October is going to bring love and happiness.” Really? October, of all months! No one else would have suggested that it was going to be a good month in any way with so many friends losing their jobs.

The following Tuesday, the local Community College posted a job for an HR Director. Several people contacted Nathan to let him know about the posting. Honestly, I don’t think Nathan had given his own employment a great deal of consideration. Besides, he figured the Community College would want someone with a background in education.

I saw Nathan during these months. Notwithstanding the palpable stress that ran through the facility, Nathan exhibited surprising peace. He has said, “As I get older, I value peace” and one could tell that he was pursuing peace even while he had the concern of all those employees on his heart. I suspect those closest to him wished he would give greater attention to his own issues but rather than running to a new job, he felt he had to “see this to the end.” He told his wife, “I have peace.”

When you partner with God, it necessarily means that you can’t sit on your hands, though. Partnership implies contributions by all the partners.  Last week’s post taught that God will “go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.” God will level the path and even bust through doors for us, but we must get on our feet and walk. In Nathan’s case that meant he needed to fill out the application, order transcripts and get some references together despite believing he would not be the ideal candidate for the community college.

Three weeks later, on a Tuesday, the college emailed him saying they would like to schedule an interview with him for that Friday. Many of you will have cringed just then, thinking it would be tough to clear your calendar that quickly. Well, miraculously, Nathan had Friday off. The interview lasted two hours which would seem to be a good sign, a sign of interest but 2 ½ weeks later, he had heard nothing from the college. Then the Tuesday after Labor Day, Nathan was sitting at his desk. The job circumstance and the interview at the Community College came to his mind. He bowed his head, prayed and, as he says, for the first time in his life, fully gave the situation to God. He let go of the care of it. He took his hands and mind completely out of situation and rested in the peace that whatever came of the community college position, it would be God’s will and one way or another, God would provide.

Within 5 minutes of releasing the job and his concerns to God, Nathan received an email request from the college for him to call them. Once on the phone, they didn’t dance around but rather offered him the job right away. It seems that all Nathan had to do was to let go.

This is a story of provision, of partnering with God, of following his leading, of faith, of trust but ultimately of surrender. Nathan says it is an example of what happens when you get out of God’s way. He also says that God didn’t just open doors for him; God busted them down. Isn’t that exactly what Isaiah 45: 2 – 3 promises? “I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.”

As promised in today’s verse, God had a good plan for Nathan, one for his welfare. You have the same promise. Is there something troubling you? Are you dealing with a difficult circumstance? If you were speaking with Nathan, I believe he would tell you, “Give it to God and then get out of His way!”

Go with God and be blessed!