"Why I Believe There Is a God"

There are some who affirm their belief in the existence of God after witnessing the birth of a child.  For others it is the power of the sea, the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, the majesty of Mount Everest.  Some come to that place after a once-in-a-lifetime personal experience.  While I appreciate all of those persuasions, my argument pro-God is confirmed by my gardening equipment experiences.

"The season" has begun.  That is just another way of saying that 14" of snow has melted, grass is growing, roses and other shrubs need to be pruned, weeds have erupted, and gardens are waiting to be tended.  It also means gardening equipment which has been stored since last fall needs to be brought out and put to use.  Such was the case today when I began my lawn-mowing schedule in earnest.  I loaded the mower and weed-eater in the truck and headed out.  

On the job site, I finished mowing and pulled the weed-eater out to edge.  I hadn't used it for several months and no, I did not winterize it properly, emptying it of fuel while in storage.  That, all by itself, spells a recipe for disaster.  I primed it, set the choke properly and began pulling on the starter---and pulling and pulling and pulling.  And this is where my pro-God argument enters in.  I heard myself saying, "Please, please, please God.  Please start it."  This is my usual response when I am dealing with an obstinate piece of equipment.  I have a habit of counting the number of times I've tried, so  by the time I got to 30 I had decided there would probably be no edging done this day.  It was then it kicked in.  "Thank you" was the next thought I had, and I headed off to complete my job. 

I must say there have been plenty of times when my equipment doesn't start, and my response is a negative expression which I won't repeat.  The nasty words and attitude, the rants and raves don't even faze Him.  He simply smiles, pats me on the head, and sends me on my way to my equipment people, a gift from Him for whom I am so very grateful and thankful.  They add to my pro-God argument.  

I would never minimize nor negate another's experiences or view, and I, too, recognize the work and the hand of God in new life, nature, and priceless individual experiences.  But for me, today the proof came through loud and clear.  He was 3 for 3--the mower, the blower, and the weed-eater.  They all kicked in.  

Do I hear an "Amen?"  :)