Fleeces

I stood at a fork in the road of my life.  If I went to the right – I would be working in computers for probably the rest of my life and the required rigor came very naturally to me.  If I went to the left – I would remain in the ministry.  Which way should I go?  I was completely clueless and not finding God giving me much in the way of direction!  So, I had been reading about Gideon and decided to lay a fleece.

As you might remember Gideon had to make a decision as well, so he prayed that a fleece he laid would either be wet or dry and the surrounding area the opposite across two consecutive nights.  This proved to him what he should do (follow God’s leading of course!).

Well, if it worked for Gideon, it ought to work for me, right?  I knew in my heart the road I really wanted to travel but I wanted to know if it was the one God would have me to take.  So, I prayed and laid a fleece.  God confirmed the path.

Seven times I prayed and the fleece was confirmed each time.  I was very excited!

So, I told my Bible study group about it and they were a little blown away by someone actually doing something like that.  I was scolded quite briskly by my mentor for not trusting God enough to follow my heart…..  (Danger Will Robinson!!!!!)

Next weekend, one of my friends told me he decided to do the same.  Seems he had an eye for a young lady and decided to lay a fleece as to whether or not she would be his.  It would have been a miracle for him to get a no answer, given the way he laid the fleece!  When I told him that, he was so angry at me – he stopped the car and told me to get out!  So, I ended up walking many miles that morning to church.

By the time I had gotten to church, everything was in an uproar because he announced that he was going to marry this young lady, whom of course might have liked to have been consulted first!  What a mess!  It took a few years to let that one pass over.  Eventually he did apologize for tossing me out the car on the freeway, but he never gave up his obsession that she would be his one day.

I stopped laying fleeces after that.  I guess I had learned how fickle our desires really are and trusting in God to lead me was far more important.  Besides, I already had my answer.