I had to read it twice.
Surely I mis-read it.
Nope!
Staring in disbelief, I sat on the bench it was haphazardly left in front of, and laughed aloud.
Parked in front of the Pavilion at the Tulsa Fairgrounds was an open-air vehicle. It appeared to be a golf cart, but someone had put wide rugged four-wheeler tires on it.
I’m sure the management crew uses it to traverse the acreage as needed, and shuttle elderly visitors attending the Christian Conference.
There it was. In large white letters, boldly inscribed across the royal blue paint:
DANGER: KNOWN TO GO AIRBORNE WITHOUT NOTICE
What?
I thought this was a golf cart that barely crept along on the flat parking lot. Did I mention the pancake flat parking lot?
How many times are we minding our own business, juggling our life, marching stoically along on level ground, while holding our breath?
We are super busy but can handle it right? Until we unknowingly step on that land mine and are violently thrust airborne. We suddenly find ourselves
launched into uncharted territory.
We never dreamed that we would become a human torpedo blazing through the darkness, illuminating an arced path now rapidly descending.
As the ground rushes into view,
the crash landing is inevitable.
But where will it be?
Into the siren call of the world jungle? Into the ocean depths of despair or anger? Or into the cushioned arms of Jesus?
Breast cancer killed her at age 38.
A car crash changed everything in one devastating moment, his two school buddies gone.
A brain aneurysm ruptured in her sleep at age 37.
His job of twenty years ripped from him.
The sudden transfer across the country, away from family and friends depresses her.
We never even got the alert–
WARNING: KNOWN TO GO AIRBORNE WITHOUT NOTICE
Job was minding his own business, when four messengers impaled him with shocking news. In the span of a few minutes, one came while the other was still speaking, to deliver words of devastation and horror.
His five hundred oxen and five hundred donkeys were stolen by the Sabeans. Next, fire from above fell and burned up the sheep and shepherds. Then, the Caldeans stole his three thousand camels. Thirdly, Satan sent a mighty wind and caused it to collapse on Job’s seven son’s and three daughters, killing them all. Finally, Satan covered him with painful sores from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.
Job never saw it coming, he got no alert.
WARNING: KNOWN TO GO AIRBORNE WITHOUT NOTICE
Though he did whine and complain, (who wouldn’t?), and received bad advice, (curse God and die,) he stayed faithful to God.
AMAZING!
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Job 42:2 ,7,10 Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 7 And God says:..sacrifice a burnt offering…my servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” 10 After Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
-When the land mines of life blow you off your feet, how do you cope?
-Read Psalms 54 and others, and pray for the strength that only God can provide.