A Crisis Became a Blessing

By Randy Knapp

A few years ago I faced a crisis that changed the way I relate to God.

The calendar date was November 30 and I had just concluded a phone conversation that effectively erased my work schedule for December. Up until a few days previous, my calendar had been full. Two big finish jobs would have pushed me to work long hours in order to complete them by my usual Christmas break. Delays from other contractors had forced the rescheduling of that work until the New Year.

Prospects were bleak. I had bills to pay and a family to take care of, but what disappointed me most was the reality that I would not be able to fulfill my pledge to help with fundraising for a transitional housing charity that was close to my heart. I trusted God to take care of my business and my family. He had not neglected that responsibility for twenty years of marriage. But helping Rogue Retreat seemed above and beyond His call of duty.

That evening I discussed the situation with my wife. We each reaffirmed our trust in God to care for our practical needs, and we felt inspired to put God to the test to help us fulfill our commitment to the transitional house. Since my work schedule was cleared, I had nothing to lose. We challenged God to bring us a job “out of the blue” that would provide the money for the contribution. We stipulated that the call would have to be from someone I hadn’t previously known, or from someone for whom I hadn’t worked in several years.

I went to sleep that night with a sense of expectancy. I wondered if God would accept our challenge.

December 1st, I was awakened by my ringing cell phone. The call was from a contractor whom I knew, but I hadn’t worked for him in several years. He qualified for the challenge. “Randy,” he said, “I have a set of stairs that I need you to build. The job is ready right now. When can you put me on your schedule?”

“I can start today,” I replied. I didn’t know yet the complete scope of the job, but I was intrigued. I would be on God’s clock for the next few days.

When I finished the job, I told the contractor to write the check directly to Rogue Retreat. It represented about three days of labor, and was even more than my wife and I had hoped to give.

But that was only the beginning of the story.

On the afternoon that I was putting the finishing touches on that stair system, I received a phone call from another contractor. “Randy,” he said, “I have a stair system that needs to be installed. It is ready now. When can you start?”

“I’ll be there tomorrow,” I replied.

That is how my December work schedule developed. On the last day of each job, I received a phone call that provided work ready to be started the next day. I had to delay my Christmas vacation trip for one day in order to complete my last job.

In effect, God had told my wife and me that He would not only take care of our daily needs, He would gladly help us with our commitments to help others. He had made it clear that He ran my work schedule. My responsibility was to suit up, show up, and to do the work in a manner that would bring honor to me and Him.

It was late in November of the following year that I remembered the events of the previous December. I mused that it would be fun to do it again, so I threw the challenge heavenward. I had work loosely scheduled that would fill my calendar until Christmas, but if I worked a few long days, I could fit in another job.

I once again set the parameters. The first contract that came “out of the blue” in the month of December, would be dedicated to Rogue Retreat. I wondered what would happen.

December 1 and 2 came and went with no phone call. God appeared to be in no hurry. On December 3, I got a qualifying phone call. I had done work for the contractor before, but it had been several years. He asked me to bid an upcoming job. I took a look at the job the next day. The work would take nearly two weeks to complete! It was a big job! I looked toward heaven and imagined that God was laughing at me. The ball was definitely in my court. This would represent half of my income for a month and I wondered if I could withstand the financial hit.

I talked the situation over with my wife and we welcomed the challenge. I submitted the bid the next day and it was accepted. I could start the work in early January.

It would turn out to be two of my most enjoyable weeks of work. Every day, I was going to work on God’s job. When the stair system was finished, I wrote the check to Rogue Retreat and signed it with a smile.

In the subsequent years God has proven over and over again the truth of what Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God first and His righteousness, and He’ll take care of the details in our lives.”

Randy writes from Medford, OR. You can contact him at knappsnest@msn.com