Does God Skywrite?
by Steph Beth Nickel
Have you ever wished God would skywrite His will for you across the sky?
We all know that’s rarely the case. There have been times in my life, however, that it seemed He did just that.
I’ll share a few of those times with you and some encouragement for those “in-between times,” when the way ahead seems to be shrouded in uncertainty and shadows. (Twenty-twenty anyone?)
There are schools where the Bible is central to every subject? Really?
I didn’t learn about Bible college at church. Instead, I learned about it when I came across a course catalogue in my high school guidance office—back in the Dark Ages before the Internet. (At some point, someone from my school must have attended the college, and the high school received an updated catalogue annually.)
I enrolled, was accepted, and eagerly went off to prepare for a lifetime of serving the Lord—not to find a husband, as some of my friends suggested.
And God laughed.
He knew far better than I did what He planned for my year and a half at Bible college. A shaken faith. No degree. And a husband I still don’t deserve—even after 38 years of marriage.
Fast forward a couple of years, when I was pregnant with our first child.
Both Dave and I knew it was time to move on from where we were living. We just didn’t know where or exactly when. We took steps to prepare for the move—and then something truly amazing happened.
We received a call from a pastor who ministered in a church a couple of hours away. At the time, the church was considering opening a school of music and drama, and Dave’s name had come up. (My hubby has been involved in church music since he was 18.)
The pastor’s opening question: are you settled where you are?
Needless to say, we recognized God’s skywriting, packed up our things, and headed out on a new adventure, our two-and-a-half-month-old in tow. The school never opened, but we have been at the church for almost 36 years.
Most recently, God answered my inquiry about stepping back from my third stint as church administrator. I wasn’t chomping at the bit to do so. I just wanted to remain open to God’s direction for my life. (I found it difficult to come home and work on my editing and writing projects after putting in a full day’s work in the office.)
How did God answer my prayer?
I was in the sound room one Sunday morning. Typical. I refer to it, good-naturedly, as “my cage.” That’s where you’ll find me pretty much every Sunday.
I was in there with our associate pastor. Now, that was atypical. In fact, it hadn’t happened before and hasn’t happened since. It’s not his usual domain.
He and I have had some awesome conversations. (He’s like my fourth kid.) He knew that I would love to have more time to work on my writing and editing. So, when another churchgoer mentioned that the admin position was his wife’s dream job, Thomas suggested this man’s wife talk to me about it.
Surprisingly, to all of us, she came into the sound room after the service that day and we chatted. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was answering my prayer. And I hadn’t even been thinking about it.
I am currently training her, and she’s doing great.
These three skywriting situations happened over the course of approximately four decades. Typically, seeking God’s guidance doesn’t involve these unmistakeable divine interventions, but He does lead us …
Through the Word … God’s direction will never contradict His will for us as revealed in the Scriptures.
Through prayer … God promises to give us wisdom and direction when we ask for it. It doesn’t always come as we want or when we want, but He will keep every one of His promises, including this one.
Through wise counsel … Pastors. Teachers. Authors. Speakers. Mentors. The number of people who have spoken into my life, whether directly or indirectly, is mind-boggling. I’m sure it’s the same for you.
While you’re looking for that message written across the sky, don’t forget the doses of daily direction that are truly just as awesome and breathtaking.
Steph Beth Nickel is an author, freelance writer and editor, and a birth doula. She is currently developing her Nurture and Inspire brand and would like to invite you to join her Facebook group.
Regina Walker 