And God Says, "I Gotcha Covered"

Growing up, I lived in a household where come Sunday,  rain or shine, your butt better be on a pew, somewhere in the middle to the back row of a Baptist Church.  If you did miss church, Sunday dinner best be ready by the time the parents got home.   If farmers were in need of a rain, they were in church saying, "Ok Preacher, I'm here, I need help from your business partner."  The next week, that same farmer would be back, telling that same preacher, "Ok, he can turn it off now".

I didn't experience much in the way of family prayer time in my upbringing and some days I would wonder, "God, are you really up there?"   I had conditioned myself to believe that when things happened, it was just fate, that God had already built your road map and it was your decision to pick what fork in the road to take.  I have always been humored by what I call your "toters and quoters".  They always have that Bible of theirs at the ready to throw a little scripture at you, and will think nothing about hitting there knees to ask God for that new car or that 55 inch tv, etc.....  Then they start up with that "The wages of sin is death"! routine.  But you know, every now and then, a good stiff drink is all you need to relax.  A few good cuss words said at the right time bring all things back into prospective.

Things did not come easy back then.  If you needed something you worked hard for it.  You were so busy working hard for the necessities of life, that you didn't have time to "want something".  As I look back, I realize that God has had "my back covered" the whole time.  In my pre-teen years, my brother and I cut would  grass  with a push mower for spending money. As we began to pick up more and more business, we were in desperate need of a riding mower, but the cost put them well beyond our reach.  God said, "I gotcha covered".  I was involved in a freak accident and ended up with a broken leg.  I was like, "God, Dude, this ain't what I had in mind".  The next thing I know, the insurance company paid out a small settlement that covered the medical bills and some extra for pain and suffering.  Guess what, it was just enough to cover the cost of a riding lawnmower.  I learned that God indeed, works in mysterious ways.

I've been blessed with a wonderful wife and a fantastic marriage to my best friend,  After having our first child, it seemed that we were just meant to have just one.   The wife has discovered volleyball at our church.  I get a call to come get her, as something popped in her knee.  That night, I find out my grandmother had just passed away, and  Matthew wakes up in the night with 102 fever.  I think, ok God, what's next?  After five years of trying, with no luck, during her recovery from knee surgery, LaNelle becomes pregnant with Morgan.  Yep, God has struck again!

More recently, I had reached a point in my occupation, where I had just about reached the breaking point. I have always taken pride in being a good soldier.  Give me a job, and I'll get it done.  In all my working years, I never asked for a raise,  I always believed that in doing your work, do a good job, and eventually, you would be rewarded.  Remember the saying, "be careful what you wish for".

My reward, was several promotions up the management ladder. I've always taken great pride in getting things done, but now I had to depend on others to do the work, under my leadership.  And in my mindset, nobody could do it better than me.  Stress levels went up, blood pressure went up, and my intake of Diet Dew was up to eight or more each and every day.  God said hum.  He eventually blessed me with kidney stones on three occasions.  I still could not take a hint.  I went to the Doctor, and he said here are some pills:  some for your blood pressure, some for your cholesterol, and some for your anxiety.  Still something else had to give.

I was 55 years old. I have only had three jobs in my adult life.  The first lasted four years, great training for what laid ahead.  The second lasted ten, and now I was in my 19th year of my third.   I looked into the mirror, and concluded that it was time to find job number four.  Wouldn't you know it, God said "I gotcha covered". Next thing I know, my services at my employer are no longer needed.  As I drove out of that parking lot, it was as if that heavy burden fell off my back.  My oldest son called my youngest, and said, "something has happened to Dad".  The youngest said "Oh my God, what happened?"  Oldest said, "not too sure, but he is smiling!"  They could not remember the last time I had smiled, and the sad thing was, neither could I......  Guess what, that day was February 17, 2012.  I have been smiling ever since. 

God ain't through with me yet.  I picked up the church newsletter, which I never do, and the next thing I know, I have made a call to volunteer to help at Stewpot Food Pantry.  I love that place.  I had worked the sound board for over twenty years, and told the choir director that it was time for the younger crowd to take over. Electronic media had made its way into the sound room, and my time there was becoming more work and less and less fun.  Phone rings one day, its Sandra, the choir director. She now has me driving the church bus and picking up kids from school on Wednesdays for their choir practice.  I brought candy the weeks leading up to Halloween.  After Christmas break, one of my bus riders came up to me and said "Mr. Bill, we liked it better when you brought your candy bucket".  I said, "well you know, Valentine's Day is coming up".  She said, "Oh, its one of those major holiday kinda things".  I almost fell out of the drivers seat.  Out of the mouths of babes"!

You never know what God has up his sleeve.  I needed something else to occupy my time.  My parents asked me to join them for lunch at a little country store in Pocahontas.  Why Pocahontas?  I meet them there for lunch, nice place, good food.  I look around and notice this cooler box that was made of wood, built around an ice chest.  I ask if I can take a few pictures and they say yes.  Those pictures became a father-son spring break project this year.  I have since built over 40 for friends.  You can't tell me that God didn't have his hand on that one!

I have no clue what the next few years will bring, but I know that God is sitting up there on his throne looking down at me saying "I gotcha covered"!  I'll just bet that he has you "covered" too!