A joke

Paddy was late for a very important job interview, and began rushing around looking for a car park. Not finding one anywhere, he became more and more frantic. Finally, in desperation, he looked up to heaven and began to pray. "Lord," he said, "I know I never talk to you. I know I'm a terrible man who doesn't deserve your help, but just this once, please help me out. Send me a car parking space. If you do, I promise on my life I'll be in church every Sunday from now on and give up drinking whisky. Amen." Just then, he pulled around the corner and right in front of him, right outside the building where his interview was, was a parking space. Paddy looked skyward once more and said "Never mind, Lord, I've found one!"

My mum gave me that joke, as she read it in her local newspaper and thought I would enjoy it. As well as making me laugh, this one made me think. How often do we treat God like a vending machine, or count our blessings as achieved by our own strength instead of His provision? How often do we receive an answer to prayer and say "never mind, Lord, I've done it myself"? We are so quick to blame God in a disaster (how could a God of love let this (tsunami/flood/death/insert your own disaster here) happen?) but we should be just as quick to recognise His overflowing goodness to us. Next time something great or 'lucky' happens to you, see it for what it is - not a stroke of good fortune but a gift from a God who loves you.

".... you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you..." - Deuteronomy 26:11

Paddy was late for a very important job interview, and began rushing around looking for a car park. Not finding one anywhere, he became more and more frantic. Finally, in desperation, he looked up to heaven and began to pray. "Lord," he said, "I know I never talk to you. I know I'm a terrible man who doesn't deserve your help, but just this once, please help me out. Send me a car parking space. If you do, I promise on my life I'll be in church every Sunday from now on and give up drinking whisky. Amen." Just then, he pulled around the corner and right in front of him, right outside the building where his interview was, was a parking space. Paddy looked skyward once more and said "Never mind, Lord, I've found one!"

My mum gave me that joke, as she read it in her local newspaper and thought I would enjoy it. As well as making me laugh, this one made me think. How often do we treat God like a vending machine, or count our blessings as achieved by our own strength instead of His provision? How often do we receive an answer to prayer and say "never mind, Lord, I've done it myself"? We are so quick to blame God in a disaster (how could a God of love let this (tsunami/flood/death/insert your own disaster here) happen?) but we should be just as quick to recognise His overflowing goodness to us. Next time something great or 'lucky' happens to you, see it for what it is - not a stroke of good fortune but a gift from a God who loves you.

".... you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you..." - Deuteronomy 26:11