The one question that changed all questions: WIIP?
[3:10 read time]
In 2016, my family moved into a house—we worked with a realtor and signed papers to rent the house for a few days until the paperwork was finished. On a Saturday morning, we trucked all of our belongings across town into the new house. Husband, wife, four kids and a dog. All normal stuff. But on Sunday night, Crista went to church and happened to see our realtor. It seemed there might be a problem.
For two months, we were not able to buy that house. We lived there in the limbo of not being able to track down all the people who needed to sign the papers from the seller in order for us to buy the house. One of the parties had a warrant out for their arrest. 😳 It was a stressful time of talking with Crista, talking with attorneys, talking with realtors. Alas, we were not able to buy it.
But something else happened.
A house just across the street was listed for sale the first week in December. It was bigger than the house in limbo and we were able to get it for the same price. And the family selling it was able to avoid taking on further repairs because we were able to buy it as-is. It had nicer landscaping, and it had a shop! (My dream.)
Since then, Crista and I have asked a new question about the unexpected inconveniences that happen along the way: What if it’s provision?
If we believe that God provides our daily bread, that without Him we can do nothing, then what if these seemingly random occurrences are not random?
_____
James 4
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.
______
Every accident and every coincidence changes shape under the weight of this question. When someone unexpectedly shows up at your house—What if it’s provision? When you are late to leave or you get stuck in traffic—What if it’s provision?
In his excellent book on prayer, Tim Keller talks about how anxiety is a sort of pride because it is a prescription of how I think the day should go. I get frustrated because the outcomes look different than what I planned or what I expected. Elijah laid down under a tree and wanted to die because he followed God’s plan, yet it didn’t go as expected.
Of the dozen things that will happen today, how can you say which one will be the richest blessing?
It’s difficult for me to dismiss people and many unfortunate events because everything’s different. If it’s not what I expected, how am I to know that what I expected was what was best? But WIIP?
The WIIP question forces me to leave behind dogma and lean on the mystery of the Lord’s provision. Uncertain, mystical, powerful.
If James 4 and John 15 are true (even though they’re bold claims, I think they are), then we don’t know how things should go, and we have to function in the power and provision of the Lord’s supply.
All the good, the bad, the ugly, the delays, the spills, the misplaced orders, the lost earbuds, the accidental meetings. What if it’s not cause for frustration? What if it’s provision?
Amazing photo by:
https://unsplash.com/@billy_pasco