Dealing With God’s ‘Hard No’

Last updated on: June 14, 2024 at 11:46 am by Mark Williams

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Dealing With God’s ‘Hard No’ 2024-06-14T11:46:32-07:00 Mark Williams

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…I WAS LAYING OUT THE TIMELINE….

While I was working last week on the next novel, I was laying out the timeline of one of the characters. It made me look at my own life and to the impact one moment in that lifeline might have resulted in a completely different life. A moment which, at the time, was a sad, almost unbearable moment.

I called a letter T an F on an eye chart test. Not a big deal unless it was my Naval Aviator physical and you can’t drive if you fail the test, even just one letter. It was a bad day. I came back home and back to my job, smart enough to have taken vacation time ‘just in case’ something like this was to come up, I had a job to come back to.

…of God giving a ‘hard no.’

That was just one of many many course changes or of a God giving a ‘hard no’ to. I think when this happens in people’s lives, all types of emotions rise to the surface, including anger and bitterness. Those two are real emotions, but allowing that process to fester, and linger and control our lives, well, we still have to live another ten, thirty, sixty years. Are we going to be sewn up and knotted that whole time? Or do we dare believe there is a plan? Do we dare believe The Plan is perfect?

Sure, as my daughter would say, it doesn’t mean you’re NOT going to be eaten by a great fish. IT just means The Plan has it-has you. The Author of The Plan never-ever makes a mistake-ever.

…my life made a turn.

On that day decades ago, my life made a turn. It was a Hard No. Had that been allowed to happen, my son probably would not have been born and we would not have his beautiful wife in our family and their two kids; he would not have made the life changing impact he has in his job and life; my daughters would not have married then honorable men they did-they never would have met them; those men would not have been influenced by those women; we never would have been a part of a church which has enriched, encourage, and taught love for us to go out and model it; I never would have become an instructor-in any capacity; I never would have met all of you, or even written this. And on and on.

A list was made of just that one event and stopped at twenty-seven items which could be impacted by that one letter.

I have learned life….

I have learned life, in all its mess, can be glorious. It can also be a shitstorm. There is only one place to be in that storm, which can overwhelm us and swallow us. It is next to The Captain. The God which some doubt exist or think is the cause of our own maladies, has a plan, He has The Plan and when he looks at you, He smiles, because He so proud of you in all your mess and just, if you are quiet enough, you can hear Him say-

‘Be still and know.’

Enjoy the ride.

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About Mark Williams

Mark Williams spent the first twenty-one years of his career as a Special Agent for the Organized Crime Division of the State Attorney General’s Office. As part of his duties, he investigated organized crime, homicides, and fraud cases submitted by other agencies to that office. He has traveled across the United States as an instructor for law enforcement in various capacities. After he retired, he became a high school English teacher at an inner-city school in central Phoenix where he is the fourth generation in his family to live in the valley. Mark was married for almost thirty-eight years and is a retired widower. He has three children and ten grandchildren. You can read more about the author here.

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