I can’t remember how old I was, but I was in elementary school the first time I heard the parable of the old man and his horse. It’s not a biblical parable, but it’s something that stuck with me for more than 30 years. It goes something like this:
There once was an old farmer. One day, his only horse ran away. Hearing the news, all the neighbors in the village said to the old man, “What a terrible loss, such bad luck!”
The old man replied, “Maybe yes, maybe no. We’ll see.”
A few days later, the horse returned to the farm, accompanied by seven wild horses. “Wow, that’s incredible! What good luck!” his neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe yes, maybe no. We’ll see!” the old farmer replied.
The next day, the farmer’s only son attempted to ride one of the wild horses. The horse threw him, and he broke both of his legs. The neighbors said, “I’m so sorry, that is such horrible news. What misfortune.”
The man simply replied, “Maybe yes, maybe no. We’ll see.”
Soon after, the country found itself at war and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. But the farmer’s son was spared because of his injuries. “You must be so happy, what great news! Such luck for your family,” said the neighbors.
And the old farmer simply replied, “Maybe yes, maybe no. We’ll see!”
I think hearing this little story was probably one of the first times the idea of perspective really hit me. Your outlook on life profoundly affects how you deal with the things it throws at you.
Then I got a little older and I got into movies about time travel. Back to the Future, Star Trek IV, the Terminator movies, Timecop, Bill and Ted, Freejack, (I didn’t say they were all good movies)…they all had an element of “if I can go back in time and change something, it will affect how things turn out in the future.”
Between the old man’s horse, Marty McFly, and Schwarzenegger’s T-800, my thinking really got shaped into a “maybe this thing happened so that this next thing could happen” mentality. For example, I sprained my ankle the summer before my freshman year of college, when I was supposed to show up early at school to attend a backpacking/adventure course. The fact that I had to bow out meant somebody on the waitlist got a chance to go. Whoever that person is…the two of us had much different starts to college than the “original” timeline we had anticipated.
A different example came a few years later, when terrorists hijacked airliners that ultimately crashed in New York City, Washington DC, and a field in Pennsylvania. I didn’t run out and join the Air Force when it happened, but if those things hadn’t occurred, I’m not sure I would have joined. My chosen field in the Air Force didn’t work out, but I was in it long enough to get connected to the people who introduced me to the woman who later became my wife.
I enjoy looking back and seeing how all these different things start out looking like they’re going one way, but then change direction and do something totally different. I have a tendency to overthink these things once in awhile, which makes my next point hit a little harder.
Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve been in multiple situations where death or massive bodily injury was only seconds or minutes away, yet God seems to have seen fit to spare me from them. My body is in remarkably good condition considering all the things it’s been through. I’ve escaped being swept over a waterfall, survived a multi-hour white-knuckle drive in a snowstorm while passing numerous accidents, had part of a house knocked down from under me, escaped a flood-stage predicament in a river (twice), dangled off the back of a van driving down the road at night, nearly blacked out after holding my breath underwater too long miles from shore, operated beyond my level of experience when rappelling, been startled by a rattlesnake, and forgotten a crucial piece of safety gear when skydiving. That’s in addition to all the times the adventure sports I participated in went as planned. I’ve maybe suffered a pulled muscle here and there, but there have been no scars and no lasting injuries. My biggest injury was having to spend a few weeks on crutches because I tried to jump to a ledge too far away and sprained an ankle.
After reflecting for years on the “perspective” of these events, I naturally came to the conclusion that whatever God put me here to do, it hasn’t been completed yet. I went back to time travel movie mode and wondered what events were still to come, and why the Lord had seen me through so many close calls so favorably. Maybe it was because of some super inspirational thing I still need to say to one of my kids or grandkids. Maybe there’s somebody at a future job I need to help mentor. It could be that something I write in the future will be very useful to God’s kingdom.
But then I had a thought that blew me away. I pictured God saying “or maybe…the main reason I’ve kept you safe is because I love you.”
I don’t know why God’s blessed me with physical protection so many times while He’s allowed others to be put through the wringer to the point they can’t even perform basic functions for themselves. I know from the story of Job that every blessing I have can be taken away. I don’t take that blessing lightly, nor do I assume I’ll always have it. I’m incredibly thankful to the Lord for the ways He’s protected me. It’s quite the testimony when you think about it. I take it as encouragement to continue doing God’s work.
Hopefully you’ve been blessed by the Lord in some way. Include that blessing as part of your testimony. While it wouldn’t be responsible to tell others they’ll be blessed the same way if they follow Christ, your personal story is one of the most compelling ways you can share the love of Christ with nonbelievers. Share your testimony with others and let the Lord work through it. It might be the very reason you’ve been blessed that way!