THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD
A Connecticut author, A. Samuel Mattson, documents a story
that speaks so simply, yet so eloquently, about the providence of God. As
you read, be cognizant of the fact that no matter what situation or
circumstances we presently occupy, “God is our refuge and strength, a very
present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
Jobs were hard to find in New York City in 1930. At
the age of 19, I was fresh off the boat from Sweden and didn’t speak any
English.
When I boarded the train in my hometown of Karlskrona,
Sweden, a woman next to me asked, “Where are you going?”
“To America,” I answered, “to make a new start.”
“My cousin Lars works in New York City,” she informed me,
“at the Steinway piano factory. Look him up when you get there. She
wrote his name on a piece of paper, handed it to me and said, God be with you.”
It was a sweltering New York day when I set out in search
of the factory. I had no idea where it was. I wandered the city for
hours, showing people that scrap of paper, which bore only four words: Lars
Olsen, Steinway Piano. Nobody was able to help.
I was very disappointed, and oh so tired. When I saw
a parked car, I opened the door and slid into the back seat. Back home,
anyone could rest in someone else’s wagon or cart. I hoped the same was
true here.
I soon fell asleep, but was jolted awake by the loud blast
of a whistle. Workmen streamed out of a nearby building and one of them
yelled at me in English. What is he so upset about? I answered
instinctively in Swedish that I was sorry. Amazingly, he responded in
Swedish: “What are you doing in my car?”
I explained, then showed him that piece of paper. The
man smiled. He said the whistle I just heard announced the end of the
workday at Steinway & Sons. Then he walked me around the corner and
introduced me to someone who gave me a job as a painter.
By now you’ve probably guessed. The man who owned the
car and the factory was Lars Olsen.
Isn’t God absolutely awesome?!? The reason you and I
can lay down at night and rest peacefully and securely is quite simple: GOD IS
UP…HANDLING EVERY SINGLE PERSONAL CONCERN…IN WAYS WE CANNOT SEE. (Psalm 121:4)
So, trust Him.
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