...and not seeing any...
Have you ever been in a situation that seemed over your head? No matter what solutions you tried, you simply couldn't make the circumstances better (or go away). And when you asked for help, it appeared no one cared and just wanted you to figure it out for yourself? What if who you were asking for help was...God? And He didn't seem to be answering?
Several years ago, as a young adult fresh out of high school, one of our daughters had a stalker. He would drive by our house, he'd call her phone and send texts, he's show up in places he shouldn't have known she would be. The police said that without an incident or a restraining order, there was nothing they could do.
One of the stalker's favorite things was to show up at her job and simply hang out "as a customer." He would go in every day. If she wasn't working, he would ask for her schedule so he'd know exactly when he needed to show up again. Despite our daughter going to her management, this man continued to show up at work and ask her coworkers about her. Even I tried speaking to the managers to express how they were failing to protect her and her privacy. We were told that as long as he was a customer and he wasn't doing anything to interfere with her job, he couldn't be stopped. However, they did tell the department not to give out her schedule.
It happened one afternoon that my husband had an appointment and said he'd like to take her work since it was on his way. They enjoyed a nice chat until they pulled into the parking lot of her job and she saw the stalker just getting out of his truck. Immediately she was near tears as she said, "He's here before I even walk in! I can't get away from him!" Her father had listened to her try to do all the right things for weeks with no results. And he'd had enough.
He told her to "go ahead inside, I'm right behind you."
What she heard was "go ahead inside."
Heartbroken and scared, she got out of the vehicle and walked into her job, never noticing that her father got out and followed her in. His eye was on her the entire time. She went straight to her department to clock in. Her father followed. And found her stalker standing just feet away from where his daughter would be working in just a few moments.
Knowing his name and his ambitions for the military, my husband struck up a friendly conversation. The guy had no idea what was about to take place. He smiled at my husband and answered a few questions. Then he asked how my husband knew his name. "Oh, that's because I'm xxxxx's dad." You could have heard a pin drop. Our daughter's coworkers were watching it all play out in real time - the smile fade, the nervous look around, the sizing up of what this father was now going to do. And my husband, the father of my children, told this guy that if he wanted to pursue a career in the military, he'd need to make different choices. Better choices. Because an arrest for stalking wouldn't be looked upon with favor if he decided to enlist. My husband made no threats. He didn't touch him. He didn't even raise his voice. He simply stated that he would use whatever legal recourse available to him to protect his daughter if the man would not stop harassing her. And then my husband walked away. But not before going to speak to our daughter's management. He reminded them that it was their job to protect their employees and that meant not allowing anyone to harass, follow, or upset them to the point of feeling unsafe at work. He also reminded them that they can refuse service to any "customer" at any time and ban this guy from the store. But that no matter what they decided, he would make sure that his daughter felt safe wherever it was she decided to work. And then he left for his appointment.
What she had tried to fix for months, her father handled in ten minutes.
I think sometimes God works that way. We try so hard to solve our problems. Sometimes they're problems we've created so we think we have to fix them. Other times the problem is because of someone else and we think we have to regain control. And even when we get to a point where we pray and cry and seek God because "I don't know how to fix this!" we don't always get that warm feeling that He's waved His hand and made it all disappear.
We tell Him our problem and He says “go ahead, move forward. Do what you’re supposed to.” And we think “what?! How am I supposed to solve this? You said come to You and now You’re telling me to just go about my business?”
Yet He’s right behind us, bringing up the rear, re-enforcement we don’t even realize. He is the solution, He is handling what He knows we cannot. But we’re too stressed and worried to notice Him.
Our daughter still talks about the day her dad confronted her stalker. She still tells the story from her perspective, that she "didn't know he got out of the car. I just remember thinking, ok, I have to go in here alone because Dad has to go. I didn't know he followed me in. But I'm so glad he did!"
didn't know he was there. He didn't leave her to fend for herself anymore. What a beautiful moment for her heart!
My friend, I pray that this story and analogy will somehow give you a beautiful moment for your heart as well. Perhaps you can look at a situation you are going through, or something you've experienced, and see the Father's love as He is not leaving you. Just because you didn't hear all of His words or see Him walking beside you, doesn't mean He has hung back while you continue to fight a losing battle. He is here - going before you and coming behind you, to defend you, His precious child.
