I am sick. The upper respiratory crud that is rampage in my community has landed in my lungs. And, I have a huge women’s conference I am supposed to attend this weekend to promote my new novel Focused as well as my new Bible study which just came out in the nick of time from Abbott Press, Between the Window and the Door.
Church women from all over my state will be there. It is the best place to promote my books and myself. But, it is a four hour drive down and back, and right now I don’t feel up to driving to the drug store. Why Lord? Why has this hit me now?
Then, a friend of mine emailed me her prayer for the situation. If God is closing this door, it is for a reason, she wrote. Oh. Yes, that would be the theme of my new Bible study. Our Lord is so precious in His ways to get me to see His lessons. But that was not the end. In case I missed that message ( He knows I have a stubborn streak) another popped up on my computer screen.
Another friend emailed me a story of a woman whining in prayer to God. She asked why she’d had such a horrible day where every little thing that could go wrong did. Was He punishing her? Testing her? One by one, God explained that the things that “went wrong” were things to detour her or steer her away from danger or heartache.
Again, I am reminded who my P.R. agent is. He is the one I write about for His glory. He will decide when and where people will buy my books or book me to come and speak. Even though I have been planning on this event for months, and even though I ordered more books from the publisher just for this weekend, I know better than to risk my health. In the morning if I am not a whole lot better, I will start the apology phone calls and trust God has His reasons to keep me from being there. I must also trust He will find other ways for me to sell this inventory boxed up and ready to go in my trunk.
I know, some of you may say, but God never wants us to be ill. It is the Devil sticking his foot in. Perhaps, but Jesus has already won the war, so He will also control the outcome of this battle. His will prevails if I stay obedient and I concentrate on honoring my Lord’s will and not my own. Everything else will fall into place in His perfect timing. As Steven Curtis Chapman sings, no matter what we do, it is important if we do it for the glory of God.
If staying in bed and getting well is what I need to do, I must trust in that. Who knows what would happen if I chose to push on and go. At the least I might infect others and perhaps give this to someone whose body is too weak to combat it. At worst, I might be so fuzzy brained and weak that I have a wreck.
Only God knows, and in the morning, He will guide my path. May you let Him guide yours each day as well – for all you do is important if you honor God in the process. Even if , as Chapman sings, it is just picking up Cheerios off the living room floor today.
