Bargains, the ‘heart’ of the matter

I came across a story on my news feed about a 12-year-old boy, Austin Applebee, who fought high seas, fear, fatigue and who knows what else, to rescue his family from certain death.

This was back at the end of January. He, his mom, 12-year-old brother and 8-year-old sister were on vacation in Quindalup, Australia, when they took a kayak and inflatable paddleboards out into Geographe Bay (about 137 miles wide at its widest). At the time, the waters were calm, but that soon changed. They became rough, violent enough, in fact, to flip their kayak. They flipped it back over, but it began to fill with water. Worse, they were being pushed farther and farther out to sea.

Austin tried to swim back to shore while pulling and yanking it, but to no avail. That, in turn, prompted his mom to make what she called the hardest decision ever: swim for help.

He took off his life jacket – a hindrance up until then, he said – and began to do just that. He swam for four hours! He said he tried to keep “the happiest things in my head,” not the “bad things,” and “I just kept thinking ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming.’”

When he got to the beach, his ordeal still wasn’t over. He had to find a phone to call for help. Eventually, he did: “I need helicopters, I need planes, I need boats,” he said, “my family’s out at sea!

“I don’t think it was actually me doing that,” he said. “It was God the whole time. I kept on praying. I kept on praying.”

And in those prayers, Austin confessed, he tried to bargain with God. If you’ll do this, “I’ll go to church … I’ll get baptized …” (Which he did.)

Ah yes. Hopefully, I won’t tarnish such a wonderful, powerful story, but I know it well. It made me think of the many times in my own life when I’ve tried to play “Let’s make a deal” with God.

When I was active as a pastor, from time to time, I would have a couple show up at church for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. As you get to know them, they will explain: “We want to get our lives right with God.” Only, there would seemingly always be something lurking in the shadows. Something that would eventually come out about the real reason they wanted to get their lives right with God. A sickness, a struggle with finances, infidelity, addiction, et cetera.

They would get active. God wouldn’t. The clock would turn. The questions would begin: “Where is He?” “Why isn’t He working?” (Unsaid: “Doesn’t He see us? Why isn’t He acknowledging our efforts?” Etc.)

I’m not judging. See: “The many times in my own life …” I would even: “Guys. Look. You can’t bargain with God.” Which, oh, by the way, who am I to say? It worked for King Hezekiah. He got sick. Isaiah the prophet came to him and said, “Dude you’re going to die.” (My translation, obviously.) He prayed: “O Lord, I ask you from my heart to remember now how I have walked with You in truth and with a whole heart.” What was inferred: “So, if you give me more time, you can see what I’ll do with it.” God gave him 15 more years.

Abraham did it. Moses did it. God is God. God does what He wants. (I’ve also seen it where they get what they want, and then, satisfied, disappear.) God knows best.

All I know is God knows hearts, and if our deals, our bargains, aren’t working out quite the way we thought they would/should, and we’re looking for a reason, that’s a pretty good place to start.