12/31/2008
by Don Tjader
Here are some mini stories of believed providences by me, that lead up to an amazing and powerful presence of God in my life. Some of the little stories may seem disjointed and out of order, but all are arranged chronologically. I record the events so that I do not forget the details. The major events I shall not forget and are still wildly vivid in my mind. Praise be to God.
Oct 21, 2007 my baptism and Chick-fil-a
This marks the date of my baptism. I was baptized with my step-mom Jill, and my niece, Audrina at First Christian Church of Kenosha, WI. This is the church my dad goes to, and was a very proud day for him to see us baptized. After the baptisms we sang praises to God and listened to a sermon on the fast food diner, Chick-fil-a. This is a restaurant that is owned by a Christian and is operated on Christian values. One of the values I remember was that the business never went into debt to expand the business, they only expanded when funds were available. I've always wanted to eat there since, but there are none in the Chicago-land area.
Year in advance notice of TN Christmas
2007 Christmas dinner, I was at my roommate Rylan's family's. They were planning on the next years 2008 Christmas to be celebrated in Chattanooga, TN. And they've reminded me several times in 2008, and I finally checked the calendar and prayed over the best date, and then out of faith bought the plane tickets to Atlanta, including a rental car--non-refundable. Atlanta was cheaper to fly in to, instead of Chattanooga.
I figured it would be wrong to drop through the south east region and not stop in and say hi to the people I conference call with everyday for work. I serve the Grainger branches in GA, TN, AL, and MS. Also, I was out of vacation days to use due to using them up to go to Nigeria earlier this year. A crazy idea popped into my mind--I could work a day out of one of the other Grainger branches! And stay an extra day in the south. I ran the idea past my manager, Kristen, she liked it right away and said to go ahead and pick a branch! At first I figured the Chattanooga branch would be good since that is where I am sleeping. I ran it past one of the employees down there, but nothing really took. I don't know the branch manager at all, and, in general that branch does not rely on Sourcing that much. I wasn't sure what to do, so I tried surrendering to God.
It became apparent, working with Misty on very large projects in the Atlanta branch, that Atlanta would be the best place. Also, I learned later that Atlanta was the highest sourcing call center, which is also split from a Grainger warehouse. So I was able to get some branch training.
Matt and fasting for strength in health and eating
About six weeks ago, Matt, one of the members of my small group (John and Rylan were indisposed that day), but we had a good time together and shared deeply. I shared how my worse sin, at this moment in life, is my health and eating habits. My job requires me to sit for 8 hours per day, and then I go part time to night school, or study, or small group night, or family night. So I have not made time to exercise, and it is very convenient to eat drive up window food or non-healthy foods. So, Matt and me decided to try and get serious about our struggles and seek God for transformation in our areas of weakness. This was first spurred on by Matt sharing deeply with his current weakness and struggles. Praise be to God for giving him courage to break ice and confess! So we committed to fasting and praying for two days. Rylan joined us in the fasting and after the fact had said it was good.
I had checked out the local gyms for a membership, and prayed about memberships to workout. I never felt clarity or confirmation from God on what to do, so, those are usually the best times to do absolutely nothing and wait patiently for God to reveal His will and how He will answer our small group's prayers and fasting. I always meant to ask our small group leader, John, about exercising and working out, considering his long background of strength training professionally and teaching, but I never brought it up in group.
At Denny's with John and Rylan and Crossfit.com
So we we're having small group at Denny's about a month ago, and somehow John brought up Crossfit.com and how he has done it for the past few years. I was amazed at him bringing it up and realized it as potential answering of prayer. Plus, as far as exercise goes, we've talked about it in the past, but we don't do that very often. Rylan and me inquisitively started asking more questions. Rylan was very interested and wanted to start right away—we did!
In fact we have since built a pull-up bar and a sit up brace in the garage we rent. The garage is a home-crossfit-garage now! We try and do crossfit 3 or 4 times a week at 6AM in the morning before work. We try and follow the Crossfit.com work out of the day, but we usually do body squats, burpies, push ups, pull ups, and sit ups due to resources. This has given me us a tremendous amount of strength and endurance over only the past month of working out!
Algebra Class Providence
About two or three weeks ago I was in my math class and my teacher, Dave Nicpon (the best math teacher ever fyi); he was talking about the final exam. I had been getting an A in the class and figured if it conflicts with my flight to Atlanta/Chattanooga trip, then I would just not take the final and settle for a B or C for the class (considering I have non-refundable plane tickets and I am trusting in God with as much faith as possible and believe He wants me to go to Chattanooga/Atlanta). My school, I hope, is surrendered to God, and my trip too. But it ended up that my Friday class was at the same time I need to be on the plane flying to Atlanta. The teacher explained that we had to take the final, no matter what, or we would fail the class, and have to take all over again. Instantly I felt my heart fill up with anger at God! “How can you flunk me out of this class, Lord!” I prayed silently in anger about the conflict.
During the break in the class, I approached my math teacher, Dave, and in the middle of explaining the situation he said, well you'll have to take the test at my other class earlier in the week. WHOA! Perfect, I wasn't expecting that at all! His other class was Saturday class, but I was in the Friday class, I assumed that my Friday class was always ahead of his Saturday class, but I learned that due to the Thanksgiving Day holiday, my Friday class was off and was a week behind the Saturday class, and so the Saturday class was a week ahead of schedule and was finishing the weekend before. My heart sang for joy to God, and yet, was repentfull for not trusting God.
Asking people for things to do in Atlanta
So, I planned to get to Atlanta/Chattanooga a day before Rylan’s family (the Kilburgs). I flew in to Atlanta Airport late Friday 12/19/08, but the Kilburgs were driving via car, and would not arrive until late Saturday. Also, the house they rented would not be available until noon on Saturday also. So, I had some time by myself Friday night and Saturday. I asked around for recommendations for what to do from people: those who I work with at Atlanta Grainger branch, people here in Illinois, even people on the plane to Atlanta—there were some suggestions, but people either did not recommend something or it just did not work out, so never really figured it out. So I got off the plane, got the rental car (2008 Mitsubishi Gallant), and jumped out on the highway right away.
I prayed about what to do and felt that since God has not revealed anything to do in Atlanta that He does not want me here, I felt confirmation from God to go to Chattanooga. I decided that it would be a good idea to take the next rest stop and stop at a McDonald’s to situate myself with road maps and plot the course to Chattanooga. So I took the next exit off of highway 75 for a McDonald’s, it dumped me in the middle of nowhere. There was a train with graffiti all over it, and abandoned warehouses, it was 10 or 11 at night, and there was a car driving on my bumper, the headlights blinding and annoying me. I was a little uncomfortable: being lost, no McDonald’s in sight, and driving through a ghost town! I prayed to God, where am I? What do you want me to do? And only a minutes later, a Chick-fil-a was on the left side of the road--I did a double take! And with out any hesitation I pulled in, parked and went inside.
The Original
I ordered a chicken sandwich meal and sat in the back. The wall was filled with the history of Chick-fil-a, and there were shirts for sale saying “I was at the Dwarf House,” in which, I later google searched to find out that was the first name of Chick-fil-a. I came to the realization that this was the original Chick-fil-a! I could not believe it, God brought me to the original Chick-fil-a! I was completely amazed; I have since kept the receipt and have it with the baptism certificate from 1st Christian Church so that I will never forget God’s awesome providence that night. Praise God.
Things to do in Cartersville
So, I started driving toward Chattanooga, I was only able to drive about an hour or so, I was completely exhausted, and the car was kind of swerving due to me being sleepy, so that was when it was time to find a hotel. A had a long day at work, plus a layover in Memphis, TN; plus the emotion of going to the original Chick-fil-a and also it was midnight, so way past my bedtime. I stayed at a hotel in Cartersville, GA and woke up the next day. I went to a tourist center in town, to see if God would speak to me, but they recommended stuff outside of town! Mike on my team here in Grainger recommended I try and see an old plantation site, but they could not recommend anything. I had also mentioned in the past that I wanted to visit a Southern Baptist Church, and when the guy at the tourist center pulled out a Cartersville tourist brochure, there was a 1st Baptist Church advertised to visit. I instantly asked, where is this church? The guy didn’t know and there was no address in the brochure. So anyhow, to make a short story shorter, I figured God wanted me to keep going to Chattanooga, so I jumped back on highway 75 and trekked north to Chattanooga.
Suck Creek Saturday
Finally, I arrived in Chattanooga. So I spent the entire day, Saturday, in Suck Creek. I found the rental house which was right on the Tennessee River. I had my camera so I took a bunch of pictures of waterfalls coming out of the mountains. I drove the perilous Suck Creek Road that meanders all over the side of Suck Creek Mountain. I also drove up to the top of Signal Mountain and was marveling at the beautiful mansionss with a 40 mile view from their backyard of the entire valley. I spent as much time in prayerful praise and admiration, giving God glory in my heart the whole time.
The next thing I did was drive along River Canyon Road, which follows the TN River, it seems to go on forever, miles and miles with no houses on it. I was stopping now and then to take pictures of Suck Creek Mountain, and also, across the river is Raccoon Mountain. I decided that this road is too long, it’s not a flat road like I’m use to here in Chicago land. River Canyon Rd goes up and down and all around, due to being part of the base of Suck Creek Mountain.
I decide that this road is too long, and I turn around and start heading back for the house. On the way back I drove past a sign. It caught my attention the first time, but on my way back I stopped and parked in the little parking area across from this sign. I got out and realized that this is a trail going into the forest, so I figured I would just go in a little ways since it is raining. I was admiring the little creek of water running next to the trail, obviously originating from Suck Creek Mountain, and to finally drain into the TN River. There were wild ferns everywhere carpeting the forest floor on the sides of the trail.
So I started hiking, and hiking, and hiking. I passed more ferns and a few boulders, with purple flowers and moss growing on them. My thighs and calves were burning and I was breathing heavy, I looked up and noticed that this trail was going right toward the peak of Suck Creek Mountain—I’m climbing a mountain! I was getting hot, I took off my two soaked sweaters and was much lighter load.
I started getting nervous and fear was filling my heart. All kinds of ridiculous excuses went through my mind to turn back: Are there crazy bums that live in the forest? I’m from Chicago; we have the most gun restrictions in the world, maybe there are 2nd amendment, southerner, gun freaks who will shoot me on sight? It’s pouring down rain--I will catch Pneumonia! I am wearing my best pair of dress shoes, which had no traction, and I’m ruining them! Or I could slip and fall and break my leg, and nobody would ever find me again. Or a poisonous rattle snake will jump up and strike me, and that will be the end of me.
I don’t care! I am climbing the mountain of God! I was fighting my fears to stay in a prayerful admiration and gratification of God.
I looked up again and noticed through the forest trees that there is a non-scalable cliff (by normal non-repelling means) in the way of getting up to the peak, and on top of the cliff there is another forest crowing the peak of Suck Creek Mtn. I kept going anyways to reach the cliff. And after an hour or two the trail was finally bringing me to the side of that cliff and I could hear water running, like the sounds of a rushing river. I finally get to the side of this cliff and the trail comes right into this cleft in the cliff with a waterfall dropping 200 feet!--and then pouring off into the heart of the forest. I was in so much awe; there was a feeling of pressure in my chest from the excitement. At this point all the fear that was in my heart from the ridiculous list of excuses screaming at me to turn back, was overwhelmed with such new and more powerful fear of God that I almost fainted. All I could do was cry and thank God almighty for such an adventure!
I explored the trail a little more along the bottom of the cliff; there were several smaller waterfalls and other clefts and caves and krags. The afternoon was finally ending and my developed hunting instincts, thanks to my dad, I know when the forest gets dark. And I am without a flashlight so I finally came back down the side of the mountain—it’s so much easier coming down! I got back to the rental house and Rylan and the Kilburgs arrived at the same time. Rylan and me planned to scale Suck Creek Mountain first thing in the morning!
Suck Creek Mountain Sunday
Rylan and me woke up after 5 am and arrived to the beginning of the trail by 6 AM Sunday morning. It was still a little dark entering the trail, but it was a clear day! Rylan and me asked for blessing on our hike and then off we went climbing this mountain of God! We passed through all the ferns and boulders and made our way to the waterfall which declares the glory of God. We followed the trail along the side of the face of the cliff for about an hour to where the cliff was only about 20 feet high, and there was a cleft we were able to climb up and get on top of that wall. There was still quite a ways to get to the peak. We spotted a group of white tail deer prancing away, with their white tails sticking straight up, signaling caution to any other wild animals. The top of the mountain is actually a long spine hundreds of miles long to where we would never find the deer again, but we got to the point where we were definitively on top of the mountain and couldn’t go higher! Looking out horizontally you could see the top of Raccoon Mountain, and the TN river and all the tree tops of the forest flowing down into the bottom of the valley like a green carpet.
Sledding With Audrina
So during Christmas time, I attended my dad’s church, 1st Christian Church, they were having a Christmas concert. I ran into Pastor Henry, whom baptized me, and he remembered me (it has been over a year now since my baptism). Anyhow, after the Christmas service, I left kicking myself for forgetting to tell Pastor Henry about going to Chick-fil-a. I prayed to God that I might run into him again soon, since it may be awhile again until I see Pastor Henry. Well, lo and behold, three weeks later, on January 11, 2009, I was sledding with Audrina, and guess who was on top of the sledding hill? Pastor Henry. He didn’t recognize me at first, his eye glasses were steamed up and he was covered in snow—his grandchildren must have talked him into sledding down the hill. Anyhow he seemed surprised at me happening upon the original Chick-fil-a. I went home amazed and faith slightly more increased. I know that when answers to prayers come true, it makes me feel very small, and yet, safe in God’s future and plans He has for me; and anything that happens, rain or shine, prosperity or poverty, health or suffering, I will know a deep seated joy in God.
verses:
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:19-21 ESV
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Psalm 19:1, 4
Job 40:1-5 And the Lord said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” Then Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.”
