August 15, 2019

Dee is one of those sorts of people that adds excitement to my mundane, routine existence.

A few weeks ago, Shannon and I rushed to the emergency room because Dee had been in a very serious accident involving a chainsaw, a large tree branch, and a ladder.

Falling off the ladder had resulted in broken ribs, broken fingers, internal bleeding, and a concussion. By God’s grace, Dee is mending well. But I don’t know about the big dent in the ground where Dee’s head hit. It may never be the same.

Yesterday, Dee left a message on my phone that said, “Grab a pen and a piece of paper. I have a devotional for you.” Knowing it was Dee, the possibilities were endless.

I called Dee and he told me how something good had come out of his ladder accident.

Dee’s company sells equipment to businesses in the oilfields. Because of the dangerous nature of the job, these people are always very safety conscious. And for many of them, buying equipment from a supplier who let a large branch knock him off a ladder has led to some very interesting conversations, mostly at Dee’s expense.

Yesterday, Dee was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, calling on H&P, which is the largest drilling operator in the United States. They were ready for him.

When Dee got to the corporate office, he saw a picture of a tall tree with a ladder leaning against it. Sitting on a branch, far off the ground was a smiling man in a cowboy hat, cutting off the limb he was sitting on. An accident was about to happen.

As Dee took a closer look, he realized someone at H&P and pasted a picture of his face on the man who was about to be in serious trouble. This led to a lot of laughing and lectures on how to safely use a ladder. Again, this was at Dee’s expense.

Then, much to Dee’s surprise, H&P gave him an order for hundreds of ladders for their operation. This was something good that had come out of something bad. That’s what God does.

What we believe is that our God is so loving and powerful, he can, and will work good out of the very worst circumstances this world has to offer. And while we may or may not recognize God’s activity, we hold onto the sure and certain truth that God will always bring good.

This is what Paul meant when he said to the Christians in Rome: “We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 CEB)

While you may never fall off a ladder and dent the ground with your head like Dee, you will have hard challenges in your life. Never give up trusting in God. He loves you too much to let you down.

Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, help me trust in you during both the good and bad times of my life. Give me faith when I cannot see, confidence in your never-ending love, and the resolve to always put you first. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

While the only thing that really matters is that Dee is making a full recovery, selling all those ladders is a wonderful blessing. Dee saw something good come out of something bad. He immediately knew who gets the credit. God is good.

I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.

Tom Robbins