Everyone gathered around the table looked curiously at him as he declared those brave words with his trademark toothy smile.
What do you mean? someone ventured.
"A was telling me that there was no way in the world that I would get a car park in the city at 5 pm. I told A not to worry; that I was God's favourite son!"
"Guess what? As soon as I reached the city and started looking for a car park, suddenly a car indicates right and pulls out of its parking lot."
"Yes!" I looked at A, who lifted a corner of his mouth in a smile to congratulate and curse me at the same time for just being lucky.
"We were walking away from the car when A suddenly remembered that we had to pay for parking, and so we hurried back to the parking space. And guess what? The parking meter was spoiled! Hahaha!"
"I turned around to A and shouted 'Yes! Woo Hoo! See? I told you I was God's favourite son!'"
Everyone at the table laughed, although some were a little bemused.
The God Of Small Things
I was with K the other day looking for a park in Victoria Market, when a car space suddenly opened up. As we drove into the car park, I joked, "No, I am God's favourite son."
K laughed a bit, remembering the above thanksgiving meeting, but then raised this point - "I think that we don't truly understand who God is, I think we trivialise Him if we think He is at all interested in finding us parking lots."
"I mean, God was never a God of covenience, what. Think about it - if anything He is a God of Inconvenience."
I think about Abraham, who was told to sacrifice his son Isaac at the altar. Or Noah, who had to endure the ridicule of everyone when he was told to build the Ark for the flood that no one thought would come. Or Daniel getting thrown into the den of lions, or Joseph being sold to the Egyptians.
I thought about my friend from the Overseas Christian Fellowship last time who was convinced that God loved her because she was desperately looking for her favourite brand of instant coffee in the Asian grocers, and there was one last packet remaining.
I truly don't know what to think - is God truly interested in the small everyday things of our lives? The Omniscient Micromanager? Or is God interested only in the Big Issues at hand - world poverty, wars, the environment, our sin and salvation?
I love that after being a Christian for some 23 years, I'm still trying to make up my mind about who God is, and to know His heart. He remains enticingly mysterious, as that day some two thousand years ago, when he came down as man, and spread his hands on that cross for our sins.
