Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
"Trust in the LORD...He shall direct thy paths". Proverbs 3:5-6
Do you believe in divine intervention or that everything happens by chance? The last time I wrote I described the heroes and villains from the Titanic. What about those who missed being on board for one reason or another. I am sure they were thankful for missing the boat.
The sudden illness of their wives prevented Henry Clay Frick and Reverend J. Stuart Holden from boarding the Titanic. Both men had plans and wanted to get to New York, but cancelled their trip. Milton Hershey, inventor of the Hershey Chocolate Bar paid his deposit for passage on the Titanic but left on an earlier ship to attend to business back in the United States. The deposit check was later returned to him and served as a reminder of what might have happened.
It was the toss of a coin for three lesser known but wealthy men who missed the sailing. Two of the men wanted to wait and sail on the Titanic. The third man thought they were wasting too much time and should board another boat. The third man won the coin toss.
Duty prevented the Reverend James M. Gray from using a first class ticket on the Titanic given to him. He was scheduled to speak to the graduates at the Moody Bible Institute. He put aside luxury and boarded an earlier steamship.
Alfred Vanderbilt and his wife were going to sail on the Titanic but changed their mind at the last minute. A family member objected to them sailing on the new ship because they felt so many things could go wrong on a maiden voyage. Their luggage was already on board so they sent their servant on ahead as a second-class passenger.
Numerous other stories are told of passengers who felt their accommodations were less than satisfactory. However, none were as prophetic as those who suddenly felt as though they shouldn't get on board. They had no logical reason to stay behind, but listened to their inner feelings. I am a firm believer in listening to inner feelings urging me to either do something or refrain from it.
I started thinking about the times the Lord changed my plans about a trip. One time He even convinced me I had to go visit my parents right away. It was during the summer and not a good time to take a trip. However, I listened to that inner voice and went and had the most wonderful weekend, talking and laughing. When I hugged Daddy goodbye I had no idea he would die of a massive heart attack three days later.
Many times I delayed a trip because I just didn't feel it was right to go. Usually I never learned the reason but felt relief in staying home. I wish the Lord would spell things out for me, but that isn't His way. Usually I am going through a crisis only to hear a small voice inside. It is similar to Elijah when he ran away from Jezebel. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah went through a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire but the Lord was not there. Instead Elijah heard a still small voice.
Always listen to those inner feelings. It may not be something as monumental as missing the Titanic, but you never know ...
Debra Whittington is a longtime resident of Tucumcari. Contact her at: [email protected]