The Azusa Pacific Blog

What a beautiful fall day! It’s days like these that I am amazed at God’s providence. Truly, He knows our every need before we know it ourselves. I would like to share something that happened to me at chapel a few weeks ago — a story of God’s providence — and I hope that this inspires others to pick themselves up and be a part of life even when they don’t feel like it. Two Wednesdays ago, I was feeling down and didn’t feel like going to Kaleo. I know that when I feel this way, though, and I end up going, I am always blessed. In my mind, I rationalized this as well as the fact that I had to go for chapel credit, and trudged up the stairs. After I walked in, I realized I’d forgotten something and went back to my apartment. I wrestled with already being home, but remembered what I’d told myself earlier about being blessed and having to go, and picked myself up and walked back over. I was met with closed doors and empty handed chapel greeters — they were out of cards. I went to the other door to inquire as to what I was supposed to do when I was at chapel on time and it was already full, and before I could ask my question, the greeter recognized me and waved towards the stairs — he remembered me leaving a few minutes earlier. Up the stairs, I found that there was one chapel card left! Once inside, there was not a seat to be found, and I sat on the floor by the door. During worship, Woody asked that we pause for a moment and pray to God, letting Him know where we were at at that very moment. Well, for me, at that very moment, I was feeling tired, stressed, worrisome, and dejected. I poured all of this and more out to him, and prayed a very specific prayer, unsure that it would be answered the way I would have liked but rationalizing that at least I had expressed it to Him. At the end of the service, the girl sitting next to me asked if I had a couple of minutes to talk. My heart started pounding — was this the answer to prayer I had asked for? We stood near the door where we had been sitting, and she expressed to me what was an exact answer to my prayer. I was in awe. Had I sought my own way, had I not gone to chapel, I would not have experienced this very moment. God’s providence in that moment was amazing. His love is an agape love — unconditional and everlasting. He knows our needs before we think them. There is a verse that I’ve always held very dear that I’d like to share with you — the verse is Jeremiah 29:11, and it reads like this: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” May we be reminded of His love, mercy and grace in every leaf’s turning, every fall breeze, and every beautiful sunset.