What Ifs

Family and friends made Tony and me a personalized quilt for our wedding. Each square was made by a different person. Some squares contain an image, others words, Scriptures or thoughts. One even has a poem. I love looking at and seeing the creativity and thought that each individual put into their square.

There is one square that reads, “God takes Care of the What ifs. Remus Camp sermon 1993” I do not recall that sermon and every time I look over the squares and come to that one I wonder who preached the sermon and what it was about. We are going on our 14th anniversary and I haven’t seen the person who made that square for several years. I don’t suppose I will ever know.

A few evenings ago, I was unloading the dishwasher. Kerrigan was setting the table for supper. I was putting some knives in my knife holder on the window sill. There aren’t enough slots, so some of my knives have to go in the back of my drawer. I had one steak knife left over. As I turned around to put it in the drawer, I was deep in thought about something else. I heard Kerrigan talking and suddenly her tone of voice changed. She was saying something about having gotten one too many spoons and not enough forks or vice versa. I broke out of my reverie and noticed that I was holding my hand at my waist and the steak knife was sticking straight out. I quickly pointed it down. My mind immediately changed gears and I grimace as I thought, “What if she had come running into the kitchen to switch the silverware? She would have run right into…” I couldn’t think out the rest without cringing and as quickly as that thought had come another replaced it… “God takes care of the what ifs.” Hmmm…do you suppose…

I have a feeling that whether or not I’ll ever know what that sermon was about, God just gave me a glimpse of what it could have been about.

How many times have we experienced a “what if” in our life. What if we had left earlier than planned? What if we had left later? What if I hadn’t looked up from changing the station on the car radio? What if we hadn’t spent the night at my parent’s house the night Janae had her first apnea event? What if, what if, what if? Life holds many “what ifs”. I’m glad that God takes care of them.