Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

• Acts 18:21

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

• Romans 3:21-26

Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

• Mark 3:35

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

• Philippians 4:13

Just because you have a calling to praise God by writing does not mean that you are always in God’s will while doing it.

I thought that statement needed to be set apart.  I write seven days a week.  I justify doing a little on Sunday because like a pastor in a pulpit, I am praising God.  Okay like the good pastors in the pulpit.

The other day, on a Sunday, I had attended church.  I had taught Sunday school.  I had done a little grocery shopping on the way home, and then I sat done to watch a little television and eat something for lunch.  I could do all that before lunch because I go to the early worship service.  When I finished my meal, I set the plate aside and I bowed my head in prayer.  I said the same prayer that I say several times each day.  “Lord, help me.”

What was running through my mind was that I thought I felt really good.  I thought I could get ahead on my writing.  When I was sick last winter, I found out that being three weeks ahead on the regularly scheduled posts was not good enough.  When you are unable to sit upright, unable to bend over, walking with a distinct limp, then you really cannot sit at a computer to write anything.  The three weeks ahead turned into less than one week ahead, and I had more procedures to do.  But while I felt good, I went from less than a week ahead of schedule to six weeks ahead – not leaving any room for a post on current events.  But then, one little bit of feeling ill for three days here and then a couple of days off cooking for a Thanksgiving dinner that I had been invited to, not my bloodline family, but actually former church family.  I fixed my own Thanksgiving meal and had a double batch of Southern Cornbread Dressing to take to the dinner, so that the Pennsylvania folk could all taste it.  Then there were a couple of other setbacks, and I was struggling to stay above five weeks ahead.

For people who are driven, especially when they hear God’s call, this makes sense.  To someone that writes when they feel like it and if they miss a day, that’s no problem, to those people, this may sound like crazy talk.  But my career was littered with projects done on time or ahead of schedule, under budget, and meeting the quality standards or exceeding them.  I have always been driven in that way.

But I said that three-word prayer and I never got to the “Amen.”  I awoke two hours later.  I still had time to do some writing, and I felt refreshed.

But before I did that, I finished the prayer that I started two hours before.  “Lord, thank you for the immediate answer to my prayer.  Your will was for me to take a nap.  I have fought naps since I was a year old, according to my family.  I remember being ten-years-old and waking up from a nap while staying home from school.  I told my mother that I must be sick because I slept all afternoon.  So, from as early as I can remember, I never napped.  But You, Lord, You took charge and Your will trumped my will.  When we end our prayers to You, we say that Your will be done, but most of the time, we’re still pulling for our will.  Thanks for setting me straight.  In your name I pray.  Amen.”

I think saying that prayer energized me even more.

Since that was several days ago, I have not been able to do much catch up, but if God wants me to be more like Him – the just in time God that He is – I need to be comfortable with less padding in my project estimates.  Because it’s going to be done by God’s schedule regardless of what I think.

It’s easier to make it through the day when you are not fighting your schedule according to your will, but you are accepting God’s schedule and God’s will.

Funny, I had recently written about Philippians 4:13, and this was a great example of what it really means.  Most people pray that verse and then claim the power to push their personal agenda through.  But God gave me His strength in a really powerful way by putting me to sleep, giving me the rest I needed, and the perfect faith message that He was in control.

Philippians 4:13 is right, but with an important caveat.  I can do all things through Christ except mess with God’s will and God’s schedule.  Those things are above my paygrade.  I had a nap to prove it.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.