Disappointment with God - expressed

This past week has been an interesting test in my walk with Jesus.

Just a week ago on Friday, July 1st, we were informed that our container (with our household stuff) had arrived in Los Angeles. That’s the good news. The “bad” news is that there was a “hitch” in the process because we had a “firearm” in our container and the shipping company has a strict “No Firearms” policy.

The “firearm” that was in the container is a rifle that is powered by pumping up air pressure and shooting hour-glass-shaped pellets. Now, the definition of a firearm is a weapon that can or is designed to launch a projectile by an explosive. Now, an air gun is not a firearm for the very reason that there is not explosion whatsoever.

On that basis, we had no concern when we loaded the air gun into our container in Slovakia.

However, upon arrival in L.A., someone WAS concerned with it’s presence and the container was marked for a special & more intensive exam. This exam would include an x-ray of the container and then, if decided by the U.S. Customs Dept. a manual examination. “Manual examination“ means that all of the contents of the container would be removed from the container for manual & visual examination. That alone would cost us an extra $1500. The x-ray costs $200. Storage for the 2 days of delay would cost $200. That pushes us close to the $2000 mark on top of the almost $6000 to ship the container from Slovakia to the USA.

Early in the week, we began to pray, and ask others to pray, that the Customs agent would show mercy and pass our container on to be shipped to us in Phoenix.

However, as the week wore on, we received more information that pointed to the inevitable & dreaded $1500 exam. I remained faithful that the Lord did not want to ”waste“ $1500 on this exam, knowing that there was nothing of any consequence in the container that breaks the law, and knowing that it would be a waste of their time.

On Thursday (yesterday) at about 10:00am, I received an email stating that the container had just been x-rayed (cha-ching, $200 out-of-pocket) and was being transferred to the manual examination area. Stefanie, the rep from the shipping company prepared us for the worst.

We happened to be in Phoenix at the time, walking into Borders’ Bookstore. As I read the email, I sighed deeply.

”What’s wrong?“ asked Linda.

”Honestly? I am disappointed that the Lord didn’t intervene and stop the Customs agent from doing the manual exam. I’m frustrated that He has $1500 to waste on an exam that will be fruitless. I really thought He’d intervene and stop it.“

Martin & Lenka were with Linda & me and as we sat down to lunch we prayed - once again - for God to intervene and cancel the exam. But if not, then to provide the funds to pay for the extra expenses.

At about 11:30am, I received the following message from Stefanie, ”I think I have FABOLOUS news for you!!!!   I am waiting on confirmation but it looks like customs cancelled the intensive exam.“ And, sure enough, the exam was cancelled.

Even if God had NOT intervened and cancelled the exam, He would still be good. But I wonder, if I would see Him as good as I do now. After all, it’s HIS money that would be ”wasted“ on that exam.

As we have recounted the story and wondered why He did what He did, when He did it and how He did it, we wonder - as we and others often do - what He was doing in the midst of it all.

I think, along with Linda, that He wants us to make it clear to Stefanie just WHO really is in control. So, Linda & I have decided to send her a little gift of thanks for all of her work on our behalf and a little explanation of our perspective on how God DID intervene to cancel the intensive manual exam and explain why we follow Him.

I’ll keep you posted on the outcome...