Have you ever missed a deadline? If you have you know the sinking feeling that comes over you which soon becomes full blown panic. I experienced
such desperation this week when I discovered an unread email with the subject
line: “Resending: Important Update!” Resending? What? Where is the
first “Important Update?” I searched a little further and found the original sent two weeks prior to the
second. Both email messages were
lost amid over 500 messages that had come in while I was out of the country on
a tour of Israel. As I read through the message I discovered that there was an action required on my part
by May 15th at 5:00 pm, after which the “deal” would no longer be
available. It was now May 16th at 9:00 am, just 16 hours past the deadline. I tried not to panic. My "fix-it quick," survival mode kicked in. I clicked on reply and sent an urgent email explaining my dilemma and
asked for a deadline extension. This was on a Saturday and so I waited with a hopeful
expectation that they would extend grace to me come Monday.
Early Monday morning I called to
explain my dilemma and begged for mercy.
The answer was, “Sorry, but the deadline was May 15th at 5 pm and the
“deal” is no longer available." I
asked if there was a grace period for special cases like mine. “No,” she said without further
explanation. I then asked to speak to a supervisor, but was told the supervisor
was not available and she assured me that someone would call me
back later. Before hanging up I
asked for her name. “Grace,” came
the answer.
After the call ended, the tears began to flow and despair
set in. This “deal” was huge to me. It concerned something God had called
me to do and I had obeyed and finished.
Now all that work seemed to be for nothing – simply because I missed a
deadline. I prayed God’s favor to
come through and waited for the supervisor ‘s call. An hour later, my phone rang and after explaining
again what had transpired she echoed the words of Grace saying that since it
was past the deadline no “deal” would be made. I proceeded to plead my case sighting some very good reasons
why I deserved the company’s grace.
But there was no budging. They were determination to stick with
their deadline. This was a
devastating blow and a tough pill to swallow.
A scripture that I quote often came to my mind the next morning. “I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw.”
(Proverbs 24:32) As I
reflected on my deadline disaster the first thoughts that came to my mind were
similar to the children’s book entitled, “The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very
Bad Day!” However those first thoughts were redirected to true, noble, right, and pure thoughts hidden deep in my heart – “All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.”
(Psalm 139: 16) God knew this day would happen because he created me,
knows all about me and is very present with me in each and every day I have
lived and will live in the future.
I also know Jeremiah 29:11 says that He has plans that will prosper me,
give me hope and a future. I
recently looked up the original Hebrew word for prosper. I discovered that it
doesn’t have the “American” definition of financial wealth, but instead means a
satisfied condition, a state of peacefulness, and a sense of well-being. Taking all of these truths to heart I
reflected and searched for the lessons God had for me in this day He had
ordained and planned as he knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Here are just some of the lessons the Lord is teaching me
through this deadline dilemma:
- Trust. For a brief moment I panicked and thought to myself, “What am I going to do?” Then the Lord’s unexplainable peace surrounded me. I now cling to the truth that God planned my days and that Monday was on His calendar, as well as mine. Quite possibly He had it circled in red as a day I would need to lean completely on Him. I trust that when God shuts one door that He will open an even better one. My bad day happened because of something I didn’t do, a choice I made not to go through all my emails on my first day back from Israel. If I had I would have found the email. But, I didn’t. So, I can choose to linger at my own pity party blaming others for my dilemma or I can choose to trust God to rescue me and work it all out according to His purpose and for His glory. I am choosing to trust, simply trust.
- Margin. Returning home from a ten-day trip to over 500 unread emails in my inbox tells me that I have a hoarding problem! I need to unsubscribe to some email lists and delete those emails I have already read. But, I think it is deeper than emails. This deadline debacle has shown me once again that I take on way too many things and struggle to do any of them with excellence. So I am taking the steps to purge my emails, closets, and calendar of the good, the bad, and the ugly. In my “keep” file will be only the necessary messages, clothing, and appointments that characterize one who excellently lives to glorify God. I am ready to walk in His spacious place void of stress and anxiety.
“They confronted me
in the day of my disaster, but he LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious
place, he rescued me because he delighted in me.”
Psalm 18:18-19
If you have never been offered the grace of God then let me
be the first to invite you to live eternally with your Creator Father. Respond by faith acknowledging
that Jesus died, was buried and rose again to purchase for you a new and
wonderful life fully satisfied, secure and safe. Respond while the offer still stands . . . He lingers not wanting anyone to
perish.
Trusting Him,
Nancy
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