Pat Layton: Sweet Tea for Surrendered Sisters

Matthew Chapter 2, "The Message"

The very first time that I found myself "In the Right Place, At the Right Time" was on June 9, 1984.

That was the day that I surrendered my life to Christ and started my "pilgrimage to worship Him".

I was at a ladies retreat for a church that I had been attending kind of "in secret". I had actually been hiding out in the children's Sunday School classes of that church for a few months since I was afraid to step into "big church".

My life to that point had shown little reason that I should not be struck by a very big lightning bolt should I step my feet upon that Holy ground. So, I hid, amongst the children with my 2 young sons. I hung out in the nursery every Sunday using the pretense that my youngest son was too afraid to be without me. The truth was, I was too afraid to be without him.

Before I knew it I was being asked to teach a 5th Grade Sunday School class!! Churches can get very desperate for teachers in the children's area.

Yep, me, a messed up fallen young woman with no knowledge of the Bible .

Does it make you want to request the resumee' of your child's Sunday school teacher? I said yes just so I could stay under cover. After all, how hard could it be? I took the assignment very seriously however and studied my lessons as if I were pursing a Graduate Degree! I used a big giant child's Bible that had been given to me when I was a baby to study from. It was the only Bible I owned.

Guess what, God shows Himself to us in ways, times and places that we least expect, if He needs to. Whatever it takes to get our attention. Bushes on fire, whale guts, ocean storms, snakes and rods and worms!

All we have to do is head in the right direction, or the wrong direction.

He will help us to find him.

He is ALWAYS, in the right place, at the right time.

Always has been.

I love those words at the end of paragraph one (aka verse 2):

"We're on pilgrimage to worship Him".

The great scholars from the East that we read about in Matthew Chapter 2 discovered this truth centuries ago.

I discovered it 25 years ago.

Have you discovered it?

When we do, it changes everything.

It changes our response.

It changes our direction.