(Put On The Thinking Cap of Christ, Wait, Listen and Be Surprised By What He'll Do For You)
By Josephine Lim Weston
A few months ago my husband said that it's important that we go away on a holiday as a family for our upcoming wedding anniversary. We thought of two places initially that we've driven past very frequently and are not too far to travel to for Jean-Luc's sake, we were about to book hotels but there was an obstacle. The obstacle was the unsettling feeling in my heart. It would have been easier if we just booked the hotels at those two places without much thought or further research but I was feeling uneasy hence I bring this holiday to the Lord in prayer asking for His guidance. I've learnt that if there's no peace in doing something, it's time to stop, pray, wait and listen for God's guidance and direction. I prayed that God will speak to us clearly by dream or in our heart.
A few days passed and one morning while making food, I had a prompting in my heart - "Norfolk" hence I mentioned that to my husband and asked him whether he had been to Norfolk (as I had never been and not even familiar with the place) and what he thinks about it. So to cut the story short we booked our hotel in Norwich within a day or two and to me it's one of the most memorable holidays ever. We got to see seals resting and swimming by Horsey Beach (I was awestruck), got a £1 promo entry ticket to Merrivale model Village (because we were there on that special Saturday, what a favour from the Lord) and that model village was so adorable, fun and pretty. Andrew and Jean-Luc had a great time at Norwich Aviation Museum where they could get up close and touched the different planes and Jean-Luc had his first swim at the hotel which he enjoyed so much (what a surprise that this hotel has a children's pool too).
On the first day during our journey to Norwich passing through Thetford Forest and Breckland, I saw lines of stout tall trees. Some uniformly tall and some with several branches sticking out like hands so humanlike with their own distinct character. I have never seen trees like it before. They stood majestic in a line on an open field. It reminded me of Isaiah 55:12 “For you will go out [from exile] with joy and be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands..." Now I can truly understand why the composer wrote in the Bible the trees of the field will clap their hands. My heart just wanted to leap up in worship and praise to the Lord. This holiday makes me realise that when we choose not to lean on our own understanding but in all our ways acknowledge Him, He will direct our path (Proverb 3:6) and bring us to places that will "blow our mind" (amaze us).
During our holiday not everything was plain sailing as we did face some "hiccups" here and there but God proved Himself faithful. We visited Norwich Cathedral. It is a majestic, beautiful cathedral with so much to see. We joined the morning worship service. Jean-Luc enjoyed the choir's singing and danced left to right as he stood on on his pushchair with one hand holding on to his favourite fruit, apple. Once the singing stopped and the sermon started, Jean-Luc got restless hence I had to quickly remove him and try to decide where I could bring him to so no one in the service could hear his cry. In that moment thank God a verger or priest came alongside us and ushered us into Saint Catherine of Alexandria Chapel. Once inside he swiftly took out 2 boxes full of toys and offered them to Jean-Luc. What a favour from the Lord that we had the whole chapel to ourselves where Jean-Luc can played all the toys to his heart's content. Truly when we face a setback, God showed us His favour and a miracle follows that Andrew was able to sit in for the entire service while I was in the chapel with Jean-Luc.
Well the story didn't end there. Upon returning to the hotel that afternoon I then realised that I had left a precious vinyl carrier bag (a lovely birthday present from my brother in law) that contained Jean-Luc's favourite toys in Norwich Cathedral. I was in such a hurry to remove restless Jean-Luc from the service that I must have placed the bag under the bench without much thought and even my husband didn't see it either. So we tried to contact the cathedral with several numbers we got from their website to no avail. We decided regardless we had to return to the Cathedral upon check out the next day and find it ourselves. As we arrived outside the Cathedral we finally got through on the phone to speak to someone in the Cathedral and was told by the receptionist that although yes we could park briefly in the cathedral compound to look for the bag but it's likely that the bag has gone as many people came in and out and will take things that don't belong to them. Wow, what a statement coming from someone working in the cathedral that can shake anyone's faith. We weren't going to give up hence I kept praying in my heart (while Jean-Luc slept sweetly in my arms in the car oblivious to what was happening and as my husband went into the cathedral to look for the bag and sought help if the bag has been handed in). As I kept praying and becoming more anxious as time passed because my husband still hadn't returned to the car, contradicting thoughts came into my heart but I tried to disperse it and kept calm and trusted in the Lord by praying continually then suddenly I heard in my heart, "It's done. It's done." So I asked the Lord what it meant that it's done. It can mean both ways but I kept praying until I saw my husband return to the car with a big sweet smile on his face, holding onto the vinyl carrier bag. What a relief! Praise the Lord that truly "It's done (by the Lord)". Nothing is impossible for our God.
While in Norwich, we also found out that Jean-Luc had lost one of his duplo lego train conductor man. We searched our whole hotel room, luggage and car for a few days but no where to be found and we thought Jean-Luc must have accidentally put it into the bin and it's gone forever. A week ago, after we had come back from our holiday we went to a Lego shop after my husband's birthday meal and asked whether they have the Lego train conductor. Well, alas! They do not have it in the shop hence we needed to order it online, but they were happy to give Jean-Luc a gift in the form of another Lego figurine with 2 pieces of Lego blocks free of charge. What a favour from the Lord after a setback.
A few days after, we realised that two of Jean-Luc's Lego train carriages had gone missing too. My son likes to impose treasure hunt game on us. We looked for them everywhere that we could think of but still couldn't find it. We prayed as this time we know we're not in the hotel so they should certainly be somewhere in the house but where. As I searched for the carriages I did it prayerfully and as I was touching the base of the standing fan covered with a plastic bag, I felt something small and took it out and guess what?! It's not the train carriages but the Lego train conductor that we thought we had lost forever. What a joy indeed! If the train carriages had not been lost, we wouldn't have found the Lego train conductor. In every setback a miracle awaits. Even my husband said he had look at the base of the fan and there was nothing under there few days before I found it.
We continued searching for the train carriages and puzzled by where could they be. We did ask Jean-Luc but he didn't give us any answer, neither brought them out after a few days as he sometimes does. He wasn't inspired to play with the Lego train set anymore due to the missing two train carriages. We almost gave up searching for them. One morning as I was holding Jean-Luc while he bade his father goodbye at the door and at the same reached to ring the doorbell as usual, the bell unfortunately stopped working. "Oh dear!" I thought, "The doorbell has gone." So I went to check on the doorbell plug as my husband reminded me later that afternoon after I told him what happened. I had to remove the recycle bins to check on the doorbell plug behind it and guess what? There they were, obscurely placed wrapped in a plastic behind the bins at the far corner: the missing two train carriages that Jean-Luc had hid as he likes to hide toys through gaps, behind radiators and in dark corners. In every setback, another miracle awaits. Not only did we find the carriages but also our doorbell is still ringing fine. Praise the Lord!
The same with ourlives, whenever we encounter a trial, obstacle or setback, let us not be disheartened as this is an opportunity to see God's favour and miracles in our lives. Let us not blame ourselves or others when things don't work out as trials, obstacles and setbacks actually can lead us to something greater. Apostle Paul said in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18, "16 Rejoice always and delight in your faith; 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; 18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
So put on the thinking cap of Christ (stand on God's word of faith), wait for His answer, listen to Him and be surprised by what He'll do for you even when people around you speak faithless words into your situation, let us not cave in to pressure from our surroundings.
Proverb 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].
In the Bible it's written, if Joseph had not been sold by his brothers as a slave and then due to false accusation being imprisoned, and whilst there interpreted the dreams of Pharoah's butler and baker, he might have missed the opportunity to interprete the dreams for Pharoah that landed him the most powerful job as the Prime Minister of Egypt hence helping the Egyptians and including his family survived the worst famine ever.
If the Israelites had not been persecuted and oppressed by Pharoah, they wouldn't have come out from Egypt led by Moses and saw how God delivered them in the most impossible situation (sandwiched between the pursuing army of Pharoah behind them and the Red Sea in front of them) by parting the Red Sea for them so they could cross safely over to the other side with the army of Pharaoh and their many chariots drowned in the sea behind them and also after 40 years in the wilderness entered the Promised Land God gave them.
Because Naomi's husband and two sons died in Moab, Ruth (her daughter in law who loved her more than her own children) followed her mother in law back to Bethlehem so she could look after her eventually found favour in Boaz's eyes and Ruth ended up marrying Boaz and became the great grandmother of the greatest King ever lived in Israel - King David hence being part of the genealogy of our beautiful Saviour Jesus Christ.
If David hadn't faced his adversary Goliath (the Philistine giant) in the Name of the Most High God with just a few stones and a sling in his hands, defeated and slain the giant, the Israelites would still be living in fear and unrest under the taunt of the Philistines and he would have missed out gaining the trust and honour of his countrymen that caused them to have a renewed faith in God, gained victory and liberation they desperately needed. There are many more setback stories in the Bible that prove to us again and again the miracle working power of our God. Therefore don't be disheartened when we face with trials of many kinds as our God will prove Himself faithful.
Jeremiah 32:27
27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
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