Is God Letting Your Family
Down?
Tim Palla
The portable
incubator
Thanks
to the local 4-H office I have an egg incubator in my study. I thought it would
be a fun project -- for the kids, of course. As it turns out, it's not a project
at all. You set up the incubator, put eggs in the holders, set the thermostat to
the correct temperature, and wait. That's it. What was I thinking?
It
takes 21 days for chicken eggs to hatch, but that's irrelevant to the five
resident egg inspectors that bear my last name. They intrude my study more now
than ever -- especially the three youngest ones. "Hi, Dad! Just checking for
peeps." I have a hunch this phrase will be repeated often enough to wear holes
in my eardrums.
"Hey
Dad, will you call me if anything happens?" they inquire. "Sure will," I reply
with a slight nod. The fact that I've answered that same question, or a
variation of it, twice already this morning means nothing to them. They need my
reassurance and I'll continue to give it. This is one of my higher callings in
life.
Seeing is believing
Fertilized bird eggs aren't fair to their
onlookers. Day after day, eggs look the same. Nothing changes. When the barn cat
became pregnant, we watched her go from a size "00" to an 8-XXL in a matter of
days. We knew when she was about to pop. It was obvious through the changes in
her body. After the Collie was bred, we were mesmerized by the dozen or so
spigots which protruded from her sagging abdomen. They appeared overnight.
Nevertheless, there is nothing exciting about egg-watching. Eggs are boring.
It's always the same scene, just a different day.
There
are several reasons why this could get frustrating. First of all, I don't know
which ones will hatch and which ones will rot. I can't tell a fertilized egg
from an unfertilized one at this point. Second of all, other than plugging in a
couple of electrical cords, my work requires no effort, no specialized skill, no
talent. I can't make anything happen. My job is simply to wait. Zzzzzzzz...
Zzzzzzzz... Zzzzzzzz...
It's
hard to be optimistic and excited when nothing changes. What thrill is there
when, day in and day out, the temperature never varies and the shell is just as
round and hard and smooth as it was the day before? Soon you hear yourself
asking strange questions. "What if this is all in vain? What if nothing ever
happens and it's all a big joke? What if I'm disappointed? What if God lets me
down?"
Seeing through God's
eyes
One
morning it dawned on me. These eggs are not boring at all -- they're actually
encouraging. A dear friend from church was frustrated with a spouse who had no
interest in spiritual things. "I pray and pray and pray. I talk and witness and
then I cry, worry, and pray more. Still, nothing changes. It makes no
difference."
Without missing a beat, I glanced over at
the climate-controlled box on top of my file cabinet. I explained to my friend
that life's most awesome mysteries happen in the most boring places. When
there's no visible changes, no reason to believe, no hope on the horizon...then
stand back and "see the salvation of the Lord." He works on the inside -- in the
soul -- where no human eye can detect His secret ways.
Sure,
things look the same on the outside, but only the Lord can see what's going on
in the heart. It may seem to us that nothing is changing. The outer shell still
appears to be hard and stubborn, but who can tell what's growing on the inside?
Not me. My part is to trust, faithfully obey, and wait. I know I'll be amazed
when God reveals the power of His grace, but it's hard to remember that grace is
sown in the heart, not on the skin. We're not Chia pets.
Out of the mouth of
babes
Today,
I was lifted and encouraged by 17 brown eggs. The Lord used them to teach me to
"walk by faith, not by sight." I'm thankful that God has hid some things from my
eyes and revealed other things to "babes." My own wide-eyed optimistic "babes"
seem to have more revelation than I do at this point. There's a lesson in it for
me (and you), I'm sure.
Against my counsel, 3 of my youngest
children have started picking out "chicken names." My daughter (the baby) will
choose names like Jade (after one of her dolls) or Heather (a young woman who
has recently started attending our church). The boys have chosen names based
upon the size and shades of the sepia-toned shells: Big Brownie, Tiny Tan. Their
creativity and optimism increase each day. They instinctively know that
something's "goin'-on" inside those eggs -- something they can't see -- yet they
expect the "big reveal" every day. They aren't sitting back waiting for day 21
like their Dad, and they're not bored.
For
the next few days five inquisitive minds will sporadically gaze into a borrowed
incubator from sunrise to sunset. Their anxious gestures will remind me that
"faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not
seen." While you and I may look on the outside and think nothing has
changed, God is diligently shaping what's inside. Isn't that where He always
starts? If you have adopted the frustrating mindset of "nothing ever changes,"
remember that the miracle is occurring inside the egg. Today, have hope... and wait like a
child.
Timothy Palla is the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in the Lucasville/Minford area of Southern Ohio. He and his lovely wife Jennifer have five children; Drew, Dane, Aidan, Ethan, and Meghan. You may contact him at tpalla@rocketmail.com.
Timothy Palla is the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in the Lucasville/Minford area of Southern Ohio. He and his lovely wife Jennifer have five children; Drew, Dane, Aidan, Ethan, and Meghan. You may contact him at tpalla@rocketmail.com.
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