Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not;
In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths
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We're on the verge of buying a new house here in Omaha -- the loan is supposed to close next week. The loan process has been a real pain though, because several last minute issues have arisen that threaten the closing date and even the loan itself. None of these issues are of our own doing. Every single one of them has been the result of someone else's mistake. It's extremely frustrating, but we have to correct them though so we can get into our house.
So .... yesterday I'm at the bank, I'm having a hard time getting a simple task accomplished, and I'm frustrating. In addition, there's a separate issue that just came up that might crater the loan. I walk out of the bank. I repeat Proverbs 3:5-6 to myself. I breathe a deep sigh. I tell him I know this is a wordly issue I have right now and it isn't important in the big picture. I ask him to give me the grace to get through this little trial that at the moment seems quite big. I ask him to make my path straight.
I walk back to the office. On the way, an old black guy with no legs in a wheelchair called out to me. I turn around and reach into my pocket for money. He said that wasn't it. He told me that I looked troubled, and asked me if I was having a hard time. I told him that he's right, I was. He pointed at the bank papers I'm carrying and says "it's because of those papers." I told him he's right. He smiles and tells me to stop worrying about it, and that everything is going to be fine.
Keep in mind that I walk this street nearly every day and I have never seen this guy.
I thank him, and I gave him the change I had in my pocket.
He gave me a fist bump. As I walked away, he yelled at me. "You already feel better, don't you." I told him that I did.
I go to my office, thank God for the message, and say a rosary.
By the end of the day, all the issues are resolved. The loan goes to underwriting.
It isn't often that I have a prayer answered so directly, and so obviously. I have absolutely no doubt that this was a message straight from the Lord -- a completely unsolicited message from the most needy person around, telling me that everything was going to be fine. Turns out that Proverbs is correct.
I'm sharing this because I want you all to know that God is interested in the most intimate details of our lives. If we invite Him in and turn our problems over to Him, He will respond. If we trust in Him, He WILL make our paths straight. He just did that for me yesterday.