Am I Lucky or What….
by Steve Ridgell on May.26, 2009, under Hope
“Boy, you are one lucky fella.” That’s what the policeman told me when he was evaluating the wreck. I had been stopped at a red light when a car ran into the back of my pickup. There was no sound of brakes and no skid marks. She hit hard enough to cave in the front of her car and deploy the airbag. It was such a violent collision that my spare tire was knocked from underneath the truck. The frame was even bent from the force of the collision. And I was not hurt. I was not even sore. I had absolutely no discomfort from the accident. The medics and police kept asking me if I was sure I was not hurt. Everyone kept talking about how lucky I was.
But my truck was totaled. I was going to have to find a new one. I worked out what I thought I could pay – how much per month and for how long. Then I began to shop around. The dealer I usually work with had a demo they were ready to sell. And in this economic climate there were a couple of other discounts available. So I figured out what I would have to receive for my totaled vehicle for the deal to work. The salesman did not think I would get what I needed. But I did. Most people would call that “dumb luck”.
I would agree with both of these assessments except for one thing: I am a Christian. I often pray for God to protect me on my travels. When I began shopping for another truck, I prayed that God would help me find the right vehicle that would be reliable but keep my fiscally responsible. I believed my truck had belonged to God and I promised Him the next one would also.
Everyone operates with a world view that enables them to “make sense’ of what happens in this world. Some believe in dumb luck; others call it blind fate. I believe in God. I believe God is active in this world for His people. He wants you to be one of those people. He wants you so much that He sent his Son Jesus to this earth to provide a way for you to get to Him.
So how did God work in my situation? I do not know that I completely understand. If I did, I would be God… and I am not. But it makes more sense to me that God was at work rather than attribute all that to luck.
Steve Ridgell
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Kevin — I do think God works thru us in this world. And I do strive to be responsible as a child of God to be safe, have health check-ups, etc. so that God will be able to work thru me. I do have to say, however, that I believe God can — and does — actively intervene in our lives. For example, in James 5 we are told to have elders pray for our healing when sick. That seems to indicate God does take an active role in our lives.
Debbie — I think your response is a great way to witness and give glory to God in this world.
I am not sure that I can accept the idea that the creator of the universe is being directly, daily active in my life. I think of it more of an indirect, perhaps proxy-like influence. As a Christian I strive to carry and present the essence of God’s presence in me, that is my personal acts of kindness, love, compassion, empathy….and this is, I believe the hand of God working through me. And it gives rise to a secondary influence, that I care about my life, the lives of my family, neighbors, friends, my community and country. And this in turn causes me to drive more safely, to attend to my personal health, the upkeep of my home, and so forth.
So I personally would suspect that, like me, you drive a solid, well-maintained vehicle. You wear your seat belt, have the headrests in place, are alert and attentive when driving.And these things, your care for your life, so that you can be there for your family, are the nuances of God’s presence in you….that allowed you to walk away unharmed.
No stroke of “luck” or “fate” or any other silly superstition, just God there, in you as his proxy here on Earth.
I have taught my kids that there is no such thing as luck. And when people tell me I’m lucky I respond with “No, I’m blessed”. I have gotten some of the strangest looks and lectures about my non-belief in luck and was starting to think I was alone in my thoughts until I read this heartlight. And you wrote:
I do not believe in luck. I believe in God.
Thanks for all you do to make these postings and e-mails possible.
Right on, Debbie. For the longest time, whenever someone tells me “good luck,” I always tell them, Christians are not lucky. They are blessed!