I recently traveled to Johannesburg on business and had a most extraordinary experience on my return.
I love travelling. I loved it before the kids came along and I think that I love it even more now – for short periods that is, because even though I miss the family like crazy, its great to just have to manage ‘me’ instead of all three 🙂
My flight was at 6 thirty flight which meant that I had to wake up at 4:30am and leave home at 5am. I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination and despite my feelings of enthusiasm for the trip ahead, my brain was rather foggy to say the least.
I was only going to be away for two days but when I arrived to park my car at the airport, I drove into the ‘long stay’ parking, which said it would cost R775 for 0 to 5 days and R365 for 6 days. I have no idea why I parked there. It made no sense at all besides that I was under pressure to make my flight so I didn’t want to get caught up in a maze of parking decisions.
But as I walked away I knew that I had been ridiculously silly. The stupidity of that decision plagued me for the whole time that I was away even though the trip went well on every other front.
In the morning of the next day, when I would return home, I prayed and asked the Lord to please give me favor and somehow let me speak to a parking person who would listen to my silly story and give me a discounted rate. I knew it was a big ask but it was a big deal for me. Our business did not start the year off well and every expense adds up so I trusted in favor from the Father.
That day, I felt incredibly blessed. My two meetings went well and I spent the rest of the day at a lodge in the ‘Cradle of Humankind’ enjoying a lunch and writing the first chapter of a kiddies story that I am using for the Heartland Holiday Adventure Program that I run. It is my hope and great desire to run the Adventure Program full time so whenever I work on it, I feel entirely fulfilled – as if it’s exactly what I was created to do.
My flight home was only at 7pm which meant that I arrived in Cape Town fatigued and bleary eyed. I went straight to the Information desk to find out who I could speak to regarding my parking error and the gentleman kindly sent me to the ‘ticket office’ which is a little window hidden well away from the general public. A young lady came to assist me and she looked at me blankly when I told her my sob story. What was she supposed to do? But then she took my ticket and sent me over to the nearest machine. She said I must buzz her when I get there. I did just as she had asked and after a few seconds, a price appeared on the screen – R134. I wanted to jump with joy! I thanked her profusely and then proceeded to try and make my payment but the machine would just not accept my 100 rand note. I felt dreadful. Why did a good deed have to be returned with a frustration. But she remained incredibly helpful and said I should wait at the machine and she would send someone to assist. The young man that came along was also unable to get the machine to accept my money so we went back to the window where they accepted my cash payment (which was not their policy according to a notice on the window). The transaction had been done. A felt a wave a relief and a flood of gratitude for their kindness.
So off I walked toward my car, praising God with each step that I took for his sweet sweet kindness. And then suddenly a thought occurred to me. I had exactly R60 left in my wallet. I felt prompted to go back and give it to the lady and man who had been so kind to me. So back I walked and miraculously I bumped into the man in the passage on my way over. He was so grateful for the gift – in that instant I just knew that that had been my act of obedience.
And so I headed home with constant praises on my lips.
But what if I had not listened to the prompting. What if I had not gone back to give the gift of money. It really had been touch and go. I was tired and I was giving every excuse under the sun as to why I shouldn’t go back.
I don’t always make the right decision or do the right thing. I often wonder if the thought is from God or just something inside my own head. I’m sure that you have felt like that many times too.
And that’s OK. Whatever we do and whatever choice we make, does not make God love us any less. We have been forever justified by the blood of Christ. NOTHING we do can undo what He did on the cross.
The best thing that we can do, is work at getting to know Him more. The better we know Him – the better we’ll hear Him.
And in the meantime, He loves completely and utterly. If we make the good choices or the bad choices. He LOVES us.
Romans 5:9-21 Amplified Bible (AMP)
9 Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the [a]wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today]. 11 Not only that, but we also rejoice in God [rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received and enjoy our reconciliation [with God].