The View From a Knot Hole

There is a story told of a little boy who loved the annual parade in his small town.  Months before the parade date he would begin to count down the days by marking each day off his calendar with a big red “X.”  The parade always started with the big red fire trucks with their lights flashing and their sirens wailing.  Then the marching bands with marching feet in perfect step as music filled the air for a cheering crowd.  He could hardly wait to see the clowns with their honking noses that always made him laugh and then there were floats decorated in bright colors loaded with kids waving to the crowds and sometimes they would even throw candy.  As the parade came to an end, there would be horses with their manes braided with ribbons and their tails combed out into huge puff balls. At the very end would be a big gray elephant swinging his trunk back and forth and high on his back would be a little brown money with a red vest.  That was the best part of the whole parade. 

Finally the day of the parade arrived.  The little boy hardly slept all night waiting to hear those sirens that would signal that the parade had started and would soon be close enough for him to see.  On the day of the parade his mother told him exactly where he could go to watch. He ran out of the house headed for the spot where he would be able to finally see the parade.  When he arrived at the placed his mother had told him he could watch he was horrified.  Someone had put up a big white fence.   There was no way he would ever be able to see over that fence.  He had waited too long for this day to be denied.  He ran down the fence looking for any space he could see through and then he spotted it – a big knot hole.  He pressed his face up against that knot hole and with a big grin watched the fire trucks, the bands, the clowns, the floats, the horses, and finally that big gray elephant and that little brown money with the red vest. 

I think about this story often as I join the little boy with my face pressed up against the fence as I watch my life parade in front of me as I peer through a knot hole in time.  From my knot hole, I cannot see what has already passed by or what is coming next.  I can only see what is right in front of me.  When life doesn’t make sense, I get very frustrated and sometimes a little angry.  I love seeing the parties, the celebrations, and the fun times pass before me.  But in life there are also some “not so fun” things that pass by.  I see the loss of a job, financial difficulties, and bad news from the doctor, things that are just not fair.  I read prayer requests that come into the radio station like these -

“I am 16 years old and I have been having horrible pressure pains in my lower abdomen and back. The doctors believe its ovarian cancer(runs in my family) I am very scared and need your prayers saint of God. I am a firm believer in Gods healing hands.”

“My daughter is 5 weeks pregnant. I took her to the ER Friday evening because she was having cramps, and she is high risk due to having a miscarriage in 2009 at 3 months along. They did some blood work and just told her today that her blood count is off, that she could be having a miscarriage, an abnormal pregnancy, or it could be something life threatening.”

“Seems everything is slowly falling apart.. everything I try seems to go wrong. Things that I don't control seem to go the wrong way to.... without lots of details.. managing to find myself in financial squeeze, just unrest with way life is going, and lots of other things that just feel like they are caving in on me..”

“After making it through his procedure without incident last week, we are now sitting in ICU. Very low blood pressure, indications of congestive heart failure.”

I can easily become overwhelmed and discouraged when I continue to press my face against the fence and view life through a knot hole, but then I remember to look up and remember that God is not limited by knot holes.  He sees the beginning, the end, and everything in between and has told me that He is working everything together for my good. 

Exodus 33:13-15 (MSG) Moses said to God, "Look, you tell me, 'Lead this people,' but you don't let me know whom you're going to send with me. You tell me, 'I know you well and you are special to me.' If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don't forget, this is your people, your responsibility."  God said, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end."

You and I are special to God and His presence is with us.  He is all knowing, all powerful, and knot holes do not limit His view.  Whatever you are seeing today is not the end.  Hang in there God has something special yet to come.