Looking Through a BB Hole

It was a dark and rainy night, the kind when you're awfully glad you're not a feral cat living out in the elements. My Mexican friends, two young ladies who happened to be cousins, had only recently learned to drive, and were grateful beyond measure for the American friends who had donated an older vehicle for their use in the ministry. They were also extremely grateful for the BB hole in the windshield that helped them navigate through the rain-drenched streets. Unfortunately, because the hole was on the right side of the windshield, the cousin on the passenger side had to put her eye up to the hole and yell directions to her cousin, the driver. "Go to the right a little. Slow down--there's a crossing up ahead. Stop!" And so on.

Sitting in the backseat was Josephina's mother. She was from a small rural village, had never owned a car, much less driven one. After watching her daughter and niece go through their torturous navigation process, she finally ventured to ask quietly, "Doesn't this car have wipers?"

Josephina and Alma looked at each other, wide eyed. Wipers? Wipers! Why hadn't they thought of that!???? New to driving, this essential car component had simply slipped their minds. They immediately searched the dashboard, found the switch, and--problem solved! No longer did they have to navigate through a teeny tiny BB hole--the wipers opened up an enormous--and much safer--field of vision!

They've shared the story and laughed about it ever since. It is funny . . . and somewhat reflective of our own spiritual shortsightedness. So many times we think we have things figured out, straining to peek through our tiny BB hole, when if we only turned to God, our Heavenly Windshield Wiper, a much better, wonderfully wide panorama would open up to us.

My friends didn't start out to be silly. It was part of their learning process in how to manage all things related to cars. But many times our own spiritual saga deviates from the path God would have us take due to something a little more sinister (sigh), our will.

In Acts 21:1-6 the Apostle Paul was warned, as he was warned in other places, not to go to Jerusalem. Some say this was the Spirit of God simply letting him know what would happen to him there so he wouldn't be blindsided. But the Greek in that passage is stronger than the English. A better translation would read, "Stop going to Jerusalem." It was more than a warning. It was a command that Paul chose to override through the exercise of his free will.

It might have been that the tremendous burden Paul felt for his people, the Jews, his longing for their salvation, moved him to emulate his Savior and "steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51), no matter what. But conjecture as we might, we just don't know why he didn't heed the warning of the Spirit like he had when warned about going to Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7). When given that warning, he did refrain from going to those places.

There were some positives about the hardships that awaited him in Jerusalem. For one, his arrest there brought him before kings. While some ministers think that if that was God's will for him, it would have transpired even without the bondage of chains, we really have no way of knowing. What we do know is that, looking through his BB hole, Paul thought he had everything all figured out. If only he had turned the wipers on, listened to God's way . . . who knows what other wonderful exploits might have been done by him?

The reminder I hear from God is this: if an anointed minister like Paul can miss the exact path God had for him, I can, too. Knowing this moves me to strive to be attuned to God when He says, "Turn on the windshield wipers!"

God desires to bless us with more than what our finite minds can see through a BB hole . . . Yes, He is so great, so merciful, so kindhearted, that if we, like Paul, insist on sticking to our miserable little BB hole, He will continue to funnel ways to us in which to serve Him. It might not be what He wanted for us ideally, but He is faithful to His Word, which says, "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans 11:29). Prison at that time and place might not have been God's perfect will for Paul, but He continued to use His stubborn child. Didn't Paul write seven of his epistles that are part of our New Testament while in prison?

I am eternally grateful that God includes such stories in the Bible; it holds out hope to me that, even if I miss it on occasion, I am in good company. And that, after the fact, I can turn to Him and He will turn whatever the situation I managed to get myself into for His glory (Romans 8:28). While I've had a few BB holes in my life, I've had enough of them--from here on out I want the whole enchilada!

To remain in that desirable state, though, I need to keep in mind one of God's defining characteristics: His gentleness--as in, He tends to whisper. Remember how He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice (I Kings 19:12)? If we want to hear Him, as teachers tell their children, we need to put on our listening ears!

Join me as I purpose to have no more limiting BB holes! From this day forward, it's wipers only! And through this listening to His voice, may you and I never, ever, again miss God's best path for our lives!

"And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness, the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men,[those of us who are traveling through this life] though fools, shall not err therein." (Isaiah 35:8)

"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." (Isaiah 30:21)