Have You Been Arrested?

02/26/2005

“Have you been arrested?” That was the question…we were a bit shocked by it. Jim had filled out an application form to rent a spot for our RV here in Chino, and the landlord called, wondering if Jim had been arrested! Jim assured him that he had not been arrested, ever in his life, but he must have simply marked the wrong box when filling out the form.

It’s interesting to note that on our way to meet the landlord and obtain this form, we prayed that God would help us, because we have no paying job at the present moment, very little $$ and no long-term “tenant” references that we could give to the man. We have moved our home many places in the past two years! We are literally nomads that keep moving! If you’re looking for stable, in the world’s eyes, we can’t offer that right now when filling out applications for rental places. All we have to offer is a warm smile, a friendly handshake and a prayer.

So we prayed--we prayed before meeting the landlord that the he would say, “Badges? Badges? I don’t need to see no stinkin’ badges!” Yes, we really did! We figured God would understand our humor in this, as we sort of mis-quoted an old Humphrey Bogart movie called, “The Treasure of Sierra Madre.” In one scene of that movie, a group of bandits claiming to be Federales (Mexican police officers) want to come into Bogart’s camp, and because they claim to be police officers they are asked for proof, to show their police badges. They remark, “Badges? Badges? We don’t know nothing about no stinkin’ badges!”

We had very little proof to give to the landlord to let him know that we are stable, reliable, trustworthy people…so we prayed! And as of yesterday, the landlord allowed us into the camp without any badges…our home now sits on a great spot, only minutes away from my brother’s house, while we continue on with the project God has given us to do here. It’s truly answered prayer!

Since arriving in town almost three months ago, we have moved our home several times. We have moved it due to all the flooding in the Los Angeles area this winter, we have moved it due to family situations that needed to be taken care, we have moved it into the church parking lot, and then back out again because the kids were back in school and we can’t be parked there then. We have parked our home at Walmart, and in a regional park that we are allowed to stay four weeks in, before moving on. In each situation, God has provided for us, but now it looks like we can settle in, rest a bit, and focus even more on the project at hand. The recording for the CD will be starting soon!

Watching God’s timing in all things can be a challenge. The flesh can grow weary, even when the spirit remains strong.

“For though the spirit is willing enough,
the body is weak!”
Matthew 26:41b (NLT)

God is teaching us so much as we watch His timing in all things. Just as I wrote about in “What Does God’s Classroom Look Like,” everyone is at a different place in life. Everyone is “studying” something different, and some aren’t “studying” at all! And yet, God is still teaching, even if some are not paying close attention.

If only I had not demanded my own way! Oh, why
didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay
attention to those who gave me instruction?
Proverbs 4:12b-13 (NLT)

When I think about our landlord, I don’t know if he is a believer. We haven’t ventured down that road yet with him, but still I see God working in his heart. It seemed he really didn’t want us on this spot. We were not a good “risk.” Everything in him seemed to want to say, “No” to us, but he said “Yes.” Even though Jim had marked the application wrong and it looked like we could have been “trouble.” Even though the landlord called the park we had been parked in for a month, and they told him we have a dog, after we told him we didn’t. He called us again asking, “Do you have a dog? I heard you did.” Jim had to assure him that we don’t have a dog—that he could look inside our home if he needed to. He said that wouldn’t be necessary. It seemed the enemy tried to keep us out of here, but God is more powerful than anything the enemy can do. When God wants it, it WILL happen…even if we don’t have any “stinkin’ badges.”

I don’t know what “classroom” the landlord is in, but God was at work. God was softening his heart to allow us to be here. Without us manipulating or trying control this situation--by simply filling out the application form and waiting…God worked it out for us. What a blessing it is to watch events unfold while trusting God…but it’s not an easy thing for human beings to do…we want to be in control, to manipulate, to have others see it our way!! And most times, we won’t quit until we’ve exasperated ourselves to frustration in trying to make it happen!

The greatest lesson we can learn in life is to Love God and to Love People. The hardest lesson we have to learn in life is to Love God and to Love People. We may say, “Oh, it’s easy to love God.” But is it? What does loving God look like? Does it involve trusting Him? And if it does, how many of us are willing to go that far, to love Him so much that we will trust Him with the circumstances in our lives and in the lives of others?

In most situations, it looks like we have some control, if we just manipulate things the right way…then we can get our way. If we can just give a convincing argument, then they’ll come around! They’ll see how very right we are. But, what happens when they don’t come around? When they continue to argue their point or don’t even seem to hear what we have to say? We get frustrated! We get angry! We stop...loving others as we should!

If we love God and trust Him as He calls us to, would we stop loving others when they don’t agree with us? Would we stop loving them when we can’t convince them how very right we are? Would we stop loving them if they don’t rent us the spot “we need for our home?” The flesh most times stops loving…it is weak! It gets angry! Most times, only the spirit can go on loving when it doesn’t get its way because the spirit can remain strong with the power of God that is available to those that believe.

For God is working in you, giving you the
desire to obey him and the power to do
what pleases him. Philippians 3:13 (NLT)

Sometimes we feel so very weak, but that is a lie from the enemy! As believers, we have the power of God available to us! Anytime we want to tap into it, it is there. The question is, will we? Will we use the Resource available, or will we give in to the temptation and try and manipulate and control those around us? In that manipulation, there is no trust in God. In trying to control others, there is no trust in God. Believe me, this is just as difficult for me to rest in as anyone, but it is true. When we trust God fully for our own lives and for the lives of others, we will be able to let God be God in our lives and theirs, and continue to love them where they are at. Only by allowing God to do what He needs to do, in HIS timing, in HIS way, will we find any peace in our lives and in relationships with others.

If our landlord had said, “No,” is it any different than the landlord telling Joseph and Mary, there is no room at the inn…sleep in the barn? Not that Jim and I are Joseph and Mary, that is not what I am saying. I am saying that sometimes when we are told to move on…we must move on. We must trust that God has a plan, and that He has not deserted us. We must simply move on…and love those who have turned us away, or frustrated us, or are not where we think they should be on the journey through life. God knows what’s going on! We do not--and we need to trust Him. He sees the full picture! We do not!

So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep
you happy and full of peace as you believe in him.
May you overflow with hope through the power
of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (NLT)

We don’t stay happy and full of peace by manipulating our situations. Oh, it seems to help sometimes because sometimes we even get our way…but in the long run, we miss out. We miss out because we don’t get to see the miracle of God working in the situations without us interfering. We end up missing the joy of watching His perfect timing, and His tenderness for those around us. We jump in much too quickly to try to fix the problem, to try and make the situation right, or control what the outcome will be…we miss out on the joy that comes from trusting God.

I have done my share of trying to control and manipulate those around me, but that is not God’s way. God’s way says, “I am here. Let me do it. You rest and I’ll let you know if I need you.” Most times, He doesn’t need us…we only seem to get in the way and then He has to not only deal with the situation, He has to deal with us messing things up…cleaning up after us like most good Dads and Moms do! We can be such unruly children at times, and we wonder why our kids act the way they do?

Let love be your highest goal…
1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT)

How do we do that? We can’t--not on our own strength! We get too frustrated with people, they make us crazy…why aren’t they doing things the way we would do it? What are they thinking?! So, we will usually be quick to give them our opinion of the way it should be done…and then the troubles begin. Arguments, fighting, disagreements and hurt feelings! Some end up not talking with those they love for years because of differences of opinions!

What are we thinking?
What must God be thinking?
He has it all worked out and we’re fighting like children because we can’t have everything our way!!
Talk about giving God gray hair! If that is possible!

What did we do when we fought as children, especially with our siblings? We ran to Mom or Dad and asked for help to see if they could work it out to our satisfaction. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t, but it got worked out one way or another.

What should we do if we are having trouble with others as adults? We should run to our Father in heaven and ask Him to work it out, and then allow Him to do just that! It may take longer than we would like, it may not look like He is even doing anything for a long time, but we need to trust Him and love Him if we are going to have any chance at all of actually loving others as we should!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

God works in amazing ways. In making decisions here about this project we are working on, God used this verse above in Proverbs to keep us moving as He has called us to. It was first given to me from a friend, and then also to my sister-in-law, Cindy, during her prayer time. Then as we met for Bible study it was also given to the leader of our group, although he did not share it. God had asked him to remain quiet until someone else spoke it out. Sure enough, another man in our group spoke up and said that God had put this Proverb on his heart that night. We all were blessed in watching God work a small miracle in our midst because of those willing to hear God, and listen to God, and understand that it was the Spirit of God speaking.

This is how the body of Christ works together, and this is how we learn to trust God with all that He is doing in our lives. We open our hearts to hear Him, we listen to Him and we begin to understand His amazing ways of working things out in our lives. If we get in the middle of what God is doing and try to manipulate and control things, we will miss the miracles He is offering to us.

If the leader of our Bible study group had not waited and obeyed God’s instructions, we would have missed a piece of the amazing ways of God as another was allowed to share what God had given him first. Too often we run ahead, and we miss the best part, we miss the cherry on top! Too often we try to control the situation, and we miss seeing the miracles of God.

For whoever finds me finds life and wins
approval from the Lord. But those who
miss me have injured themselves.
Proverbs 8:35-36a (NLT)

We sit in a miracle today…in our RV parked in a spot that God has provided while we are here. We continue to learn and to grow in trusting God in all things. It’s a process, but one that begins anew each day as we are called to love God and love people. The enemy seeks to destroy our relationships, and especially our relationship with our Father. The enemy doesn’t want us to trust in God…he knows the power of his battle tactics are greatly diminished when that happens. The enemy will continue to fight with us on every front, but we will not become a prisoner of his strategies when we trust in the plans God has for us.

Can we live without demanding all the answers, until we meet our Savior face to face? Can we allow God to work things out in our lives as well as in the lives of others, in His timing and in His way? When we can, we will begin to know what it is to truly love God and to love others as we should, and we can rest.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary
and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am
humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

We struggle so because we are not willing to give it all up. In God’s world, we don’t need no “stinkin’ badges” to get around. It’s not about who we are or what we do--it’s about Whose we are and what He does through us and for us each day!

At rest in Him,

Diane