Called…by GOD!

** This is a short story that I pray blesses you as it has me to write it! **

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love HIM, who have been called according to HIS purpose!”

Called…by GOD!

As he pulled into the driveway, the radio pastor was summarizing his message.

“As such, Envy is a strange bird. Yet it is neither rare nor exotic. Truth be told, it’s not seasonal or constrained to any certain location.

Its feathers are often of a darkened sort, and appear oily and unkept.

The cry it makes then is neither pleasant or tolerable, especially for extended periods of time. Even so, this bird is a “treasured pet” within many a household.

It has a greedy appetite, and only craves more and more, despite having its food bowl overflowing already.

So be alert and aware, trusting just in the LORD for one day, you’ll find that HE can unexpectedly weave even the threads of surrendered Envy…into something very good!”

Soft music took over at this point as the power knob was gently depressed into silence.

“Wise words to live by! “ the young man thought. “If youre someone who has enough money to not have to need anything!”

And with that, if he looked down at his dirty clothes and sighed deeply.

“I drove over as soon as I got the emergency call, so it is what it is.” And with that he pushed hard against the slightly offset door driver’s door of his old pick up…till it opened.

Then he swiveled in his seat to place his weathered boots on the ground and shuffled to the back of the truck to get his toolbox.

“It’s only when the AC or the heat goes out”, he said under his breath. “Then! Then it’s amazing how much I’m wanted or “needed.”

Mentally he lifted his hands and put sarcastic quotation marks around the word, “needed”.

Then, for just a second, he thought he heard something. It sounded like the customer’s heat pump fan was squealing, trying to move. But then it vanished.

Sighing again, he mumbled out loud. “The cobbler’s children had a dad who could make shoes but never had time to make them for his kids.”

I hear that sound at my own house now…and I never have the time or the money to fix it.”

And with that he shifted his gaze. Looking closer at the small house, he noticed its yard wasn’t picked up nor was the grass neatly mowed.

But it just felt like…like a well-loved home as he heard happy voices of youth bubbling out the open windows.

So with that, he picked up his steps and drew himself up to their front door.

With a brief knock on its wooden face and a slight tap of the off-center door knocker, he slowly took in a deep breath.

Then after well over a minute had passed by without any response, he muttered. “Must be nice to not have answer the door. Some “emergency”!

Before he could put the sarcastic quotations marks around the word “Emergency”, a younger man with a very surprised look on his face appeared behind the now opened door.

What this visitor did, with tools in hand, wasn’t his apparent question but his expression seemed to be asking, “WHY is he here?”

The HVAC repairman rolled his eyes as the youth left the door open and went down the hallway to call for his father.

“AC’s broke, windows are open. So it’s hot outside AND inside and I’m a billboard standing here with tools!” What’s confusing about that?”

Shaking his head a couple times, so he tried to sweep out the contempt creeping in for those without the same problems as himself.

But Intolerance kept prodding his temper. He DID resent being called on “urgent matters” when these easy life families had no sense of Time or any Urgency.

Again his mental fingers slowly put quotation marks around “urgent matters”.

Then, upon hearing the fathers voice and his approaching steps, he again composed himself. He was getting too good at this.

Instantly he displayed the face of a much older, peaceful soul who was listening to opera music.

So as the homeowner was coming to the door, he noticed the man had a brand new pair of tools in hand.

No, not the knockoff brand but high quality ones like he’d always wanted. One’s he’d like to have had to fix his own, still broken AC unit.

Subconsciously, he turned away slightly to hide his rugged, well used tool bag away from sight…and to distract the fathers attention he spoke first, introducing himself.

Hello, sir! Good afternoon. I was sent out to fix your AC unit. Where is it at?”

Now it was the fathers turn to look surprised but he only did so for a fleeting second.

With a knowing smile then replacing the briefly confused look, he motioned for him to follow and they walked through the house to the back door.

As they walked through the rooms, the unmistakable sound of a heat pump kicked on and the hallway was a nice, cool temperature.

“It’s out here,” he said to the man following and pointed to the unit in question.

As the eyes of the technician turned to look, still confused by the fan blowing and the cool air, he then heard himself exhale a barely audible gasp.

“It’s the same as mine!” He internally exclaimed. As he continued scanning the device, he saw a new piece of metal and a shiny connection attaching it to the house.

So he turned back to the father, now with the look of surprise etched on his dusty features.

“Uh…you have the same AC/heat pump that I do…and that new part is…”

Here he trailed off and shook his head slowly thoughtfully. “That’s the exact same part that I need for my unit.”

Now there were no surprised looks but a span of silence instead with no children laughing and no more questions being asked.

Then the void was intersected by an outstretched arm.

Unconsciously the young man mirrored the gesture not yet registering that the offered hand had something in it.

He gradually raised his eyes to look into the fathers and back then down at the new tools. Then came the words, “These are for you.”

Although Silence was now louder than before, it was this young man’s memory that would soon speak the loudest.

The homeowner continued, “I was doing my devotions when GOD spoke to me through a pastor on the radio.

It was a great message about not envying anything or anyone.

So I was disappointed by my AC going out and I envied my neighbors without any problems while we had to open all the windows and buy lots of ice for the freezer.

But GOD re-reminded me that HE works all things together for my good.

I felt HIM tell me to buy two sets of these specific AC tools and two of the same part that I needed. After a brief prayer, I agreed to do just that.

Being a HVAC repairman like yourself, I fixed the problem and then waited for whatever HE had in store.

You see, I never called you and since I could fix it myself, I felt HE was telling me just to wait!

And now, praise GOD, here you are!”

The disheveled man stood stunned as the memory of the radio pastor’s words earlier spoke to him again. “Wise words to live by!” filled the mind.

He too had been bitter about the ease of others, he’d been unsettled by the peace of this man’s son, he’d been envious of this man who had the money and skill to fix his own AC problem.

But this same man had listened closely to GOD’s voice to bless him…as well.

As his own heart’s honesty joined with Envy’s teaching, he soon realized GOD had woven this entire scene together.

GOD had called him through this man and provided not only the tools and the part but the lesson…that he needed most.

As he was connecting dots in his head, he looked up again to the father and asked, “I heard that message but it didn’t finish until I pulled into your driveway.

How did you hear it, buy the tools and the parts and fix everything before I came?”

The older man drew close and put a gentle hand on the shoulder of a now broken soul. For a few seconds more, no words could be shared.

He was as humbled by the move of Almighty GOD as the tears being shed in front of him.

Finally, their eyes met and he said, “My friend, I heard the same sermon as you did today but it first aired…three days ago!

As HIServant in your service, again broken and again bowing down with great Thanksgiving,

Whitney

Devotional: 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It DOES NOT ENVY, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

Oh Friend, just worship the LORD…yes, alaba a Dios! HE weaves us strands of His love into Heaven’s fabric…every day!

So oh Self! Bend both the heart and the knee! Yes, wait on the LORD hourly to entwine you with HIS will and the needs and lives of others nearby! Yes, trust just in the LORD!

Amen and amen!