Life can turn on a dime.
Have you ever heard that expression?
Recently, I began to think about the meaning of that phrase. It comes from a reference for vehicles. For example, the best cars can “turn on a dime”. Think about that. A car that moves 50 mph can suddenly turn on a tiny little dime.
I’m sure you’ve seen a dime. It is not big by any sort of imagination. To be able to turn a car on one is unfeasible. How can something so big change direction on something so small?
So, that phrase evolved into “life can turn on a dime”. I believe that is true. Life seems to be a lot like a car. We are just driving down the highway. Everything seems to be going smoothly. We know where we are going and how we are going to get there, but sometimes our cars turn in seemingly random directions.
It can be good, bad, or both. You can win the lottery or you may go bankrupt. A loved one could pass away or you could meet the love of your life. At any moment, anytime, anywhere, life can change on a dime.
SUDDENLY
If you feel your life is quiet or you aren’t having your prayers answered you wouldn’t be the first. What I have noticed from the Bible is that when God does come, he comes suddenly. It is not a slow process. He just has a perfect timing for the things he wants for us.
In Acts 2:2 it says, “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.” That was on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. I’m sure they were surprised at the quick dramatic entrance of God’s presence. There they were, waiting and praying, then suddenly they are surrounded by a mighty windstorm.
That is the way God acts, though. Moses wasn’t expecting a burning bush one day. He had a nice quiet life and wasn’t ready to hear from God. Noah was minding his own business and staying out of trouble, but suddenly he had to start building an ark. Jesus’ miracles are instant, too. There is no long ceremony or ritual. There is no build up or suspense. People watched him as his miracles were performed with a word or a touch.
Everyone that Jesus performed a miracle for had their lives changed on a dime. Their life was headed one way and then suddenly there was new direction. They had hope and restoration that came suddenly and it came from Christ.
READY! SET!……GO!
Lately I’ve been looking back on my life and thinking, “I never expected to be here.” I can see those moments where God intervened and changed my life suddenly. Many times my life changed with tragedy. Sometimes it changed with an answer to prayer.
Either way, I was never really sure when God was going to show up. He seemed to come when I wasn’t thinking about it as much. He always showed up when I needed it, though. Not by my standards of need, but by his. He always has my best interests at heart.
I view my life now differently than I did before. Instead of constantly trudging through the unknown, I’ve learned to sit still and wait for God’s sudden intervention. I’m still in the car, but instead of suddenly turning on a dime I’m sitting at the starting line. Instead of going my own way I am waiting to take off, but I’m waiting for those three words you hear at the racetrack, “Ready. Set. Go!”.
I’m waiting for that first word from God, “Ready”. That is when I he puts a desire in my heart and I begin to pray about it. “Set” is when I notice confirmation and the events in my life begin to line up.
Then I wait for the “Go!” and, to be honest, sometimes I never hear it. Sometimes I wait and wait, but God never says “Go!”. I’m sure all of us are waiting for a “Go!” in our lives, but you never do know when it’ll come. When God does say it though, it will be sudden.
And the second I do hear “Go!”. I’m off.
THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE
1 Corinthians 15:52
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
That is how fast God works. In a twinkling of an eye the dead will rise and we shall be changed. This is referring to Christ’s second coming, which will change the entire world.
Imagine how quickly he can change the direction of your life. No matter how bleak or hard situations may seem, God can come out of no where and change everything. It may involve some waiting. I feel that is a burden we all experience at some point, but good things are worth waiting for.
If we always got what we needed from God right away we would lose the perception of value of what we were given. I think waiting for that twinkling of an eye causes us to be more thankful when it comes, but in the end we should always be thankful. There is aways something to be thankful for and no matter what our situation we should always praise God for our salvation.
In the end, don’t be discouraged. God may seem absent, but he is there. Remember he comes suddenly. He can change your life on a dime and send you in new directions. When he comes, he comes in a twinkling of an eye.
Off The Cuff Christian 