GOD HAS PUT YOU WHERE YOU ARE

“God has put you where you are.”  With these words, Kevin, a co-worker, confirmed my suspicions.  God really is running the show!  Two other crew members were sent to the woodyard to help on the south crane.  That left us two alone waiting for the cleaners to finish the cooking-liquor heater.  Then we could close up the top of the heat exchanger.  So, we descended into one of those rare deep discussions one gets to enjoy with a friend.

I commented about a church looking for a preacher.  We talked of the search process used by different denominations.  He turned the discussion, soon enough, into questions about the lack of good that comes out of “organized” religion.  By this he meant mega-churches, with doctors for pastors, and micro-managed multiple programs – versus – small country churches with farmers sharing from the Bible what is on their heart.  But, a church split had left him cold for years.  I commented that he had lost his faith that God was working in all of this; and similarly how He was working in my job reassignment from planner to mechanic, even though it made me extremely angry, doubting God was in control.  I told him that I wanted to get to the point where I could thank my former boss, who scuttled my career, for letting God use him to move me into a new ministry!

Next, my friend began to share how the fire had gone out, for him.  I shared with him my prayers to God to bring back the twenty-year-old in my heart.  I told him that prayer is his best bet.  We talked of the beatitude, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst…” and I thought of King David’s plea for God to create a new heart in him.  I told him music helps and how a good “Creed” song can make me “flame on” (like F4’s Johnny Flame).  And, we talked of the need for positive peer pressure from fellow believers.  It is far too easy to follow the carnal crowd.

I think it was at this point that Kevin made the comment, “maybe God has put you where you are?!  Here in our crew as a missionary to a bunch of rednecks?”  And I agreed, adding that one does not take a light and put it under a bushel.  My previous job had kept locked away in an office, cut off from personal-interaction/ministry!  The light was on, in my head!  God DID move me, much like he moved Joseph.  “…you meant evil, but God meant good; He sent me here to spare life…”  Kevin reminded of conversations about not having to go to China to be a missionary.  We prayed together before leaving to finish the liquor heater job.

After the job, I mentioned Paul’s quote that “God has appointed times and places for us that we might search for him.”  (Acts17:25-27)  I shared how that I’d like to see us all together on that great Day, “the pulp mill crew”!  I told him of an old hymn, “You Never Mentioned Him to Me” and how we would focus on the positive flip, we WILL mention Him.   And we tried to remember the words of Higher Ground -- “I’m pressing on the upward way…”   Kevin reminded me that he poked me already, in our morning crew meetings, about the “Daily Bread” readings, and that I needed to run with the ball.  I left work, walking through the basement of the pulp mill humming, “this little Xn light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” 

FLAME ON!