Unfair Favor

I was 17 years old.  Mouthy.  A troublemaker in my small Nebraska town.  I was hanging out downtown (as all small town teenagers do) with my friends when a drunk cowboy came out of nowhere, yelling at me that I'd stole his beer.  He was trying to pick a fight.  Now, I told you I was mouthy, and a troublemaker, so I fought back.  I didn't steal his beer, although I wasn't against stealing beer, I just hadn't stole any that particular hot summer evening.  But the cowboy grabbed his .223 rifle, stuck it to my head, and pulled the trigger.

Click.

I was dazed. Was I shot? Was I dead? Was my story about to dominate the hushed gossip in our small town? It took me what seemed like an eternity to answer these questions in my stunned condition.  But in real time, it was just seconds later when I realized I was still alive and I was ANGRY! I laid into that cowboy until someone pulled me off. He had attempted to take my life and my fight or flight reaction was FIGHT!

The favor of God spared my life before I acknowledged that God even existed! In His overwhelming kindness and mercy, God gave me another chance to live a life worth living by miraculously jamming the gun. But in my second chance, God had spared that cowboy's life as well!  The cowboy could have had to live with the weight of committing a cold-blooded murder for the rest of his life. His wife could have become an outcast in our little community. His family could have grown up without a dad.  His kids could have wondered if the same impulsive rage lurked inside of them.  His parents could have spent sleepless nights wondering where they'd gone wrong. Or they could have looked at each other with suspicion, replaying the memories when Mom drank too much or Dad lost his temper.  God spared more than my life when the trigger jammed--He spared my enemy's life & his family's lives as well.  How is that fair? It's not. Favor isn't fair.

We can wonder why the "bad guy" gets off in life--why the drunk driver lives while the young mother & child die...why the crooked remain in power when the faithful end up with pink slips...why the popular kids are idolized and the kids who accept everyone as a friend are ostracized--it's not fair!  But just like God's gift of unmerited favor that spared my life when I didn't know Him, He gives miraculous second chances to us all!  And I'm so glad He doesn't just save these chances for the "good people" because that's a far cry from who I was back then. God sees the value in you & I long before we see it in ourselves!

No matter what you're going through, no matter who you are or what you've done, YOU ARE important to God. You're His favorite kid! His love for you never runs dry!

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  --Ephesians 2:10

Favor isn't FAIR!

I talk to myself on a regular basis.  I tell myself things on purpose to remind me how I'm favored by God. I look for the favor God has blessed me with for that day, and I find it! I know something good is going to happen to me just because I got out of bed--just because I'm favored by God--and that's not fair!

That may sound crazy or delusional, but that's how God WANTS us to live!  He wants us to go through our day knowing that He's our Daddy and He's up to something GOOD!  I truly believe that if we really knew just how much God wants to bless us we'd go into shock or convulsions or stare into space & drool or something because it's the exact opposite of what so many of us believe about God!  The truth is GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU IN A WAY THAT HE HASN'T BLESSED SOMEONE ELSE! HE WANTS TO FAVOR YOU IN A WAY THAT WILL UNIQUELY BLESS YOU!

What does this favor look like in my day? It looks like I just happen to get a front row parking spot. I just happen to run into some friends who'd been on my mind recently. I just happen to get the last cookie before my kids got to it (for once). I just happen to go to the DMV when the lines are low...ok, somewhat low. And, this one's really cool, I just happen to arrive home the other day with a full tank of gas after driving all over town to help out some people who are new to the area! 

Each of these "coincidences" brightened my day and reminded me that God is looking out for me, orchestrating my life to put me in the right place at the right time!  And that thought alone has revolutionized my life: no more Murphy's Law--I traded that in for the FAVOR OF GOD! 

So FAVOR ISN'T FAIR.  It's not fair that God gave me a great parking spot or a tank of gas or a cookie. You could be thinking, "God didn't give me a cookie!" But when you start to look, I'm sure you'll see that your Daddy hooked you up, too! I have a friend who unexpectedly got a huge inheritance check in the mail--and another friend who's business is just taking off without any strategic planning on his part!  God didn't do these things for me, but I believe He's going to do something amazing on my behalf as well. EACH of us is God's favorite kid!  EACH of us will have mind-blowing "coincidences" and opportunities given to us in our lives!  EACH of us can look around and expect to be in the right place at the right time!  Just look around--you'll find Him...Because He already found you!

Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:4–5

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Even though you're evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him? Matthew 7:11

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3

Part 2: Our Story (SUDDENLY!)

As promised, here's Part 2: Our Story that lets you in on how we SUDDENLY met, fell in love and all kinds of suddenlies! Enjoy!

Our Story

Nate and Carole arrived at Heidi’s parent’s house so introductions could be made before the date...the blind date or the meeting or whatever it was.  Nate arrived in a plaid shirt, hair parted down the middle and, in Heidi’s opinion, a little too much like a “nice, christian boy”...very smiley.  Heidi appeared insecure, depressed and, in Nate’s opinion, revealed too much cleavage to be a “nice girl”.  On top of that, they were about the same height...neither party was visually impressed with the other.  Smiley Nate held out his hand for unsure Heidi to shake, “Hi, I’m Nate Elznic, nice to meet you!”  “Nice to meet you”, Heidi awkwardly replied.  Then Nate proceeded to explain he’d been called into work so he had to postpone the “date” (or whatever) until after his shift.  “Where do you work?” Heidi asked. “Casey’s General Store” was his reply.  So now, he was smiley, geeky and worked at a gas station...just keeps gettin’ better.  

Nate didn’t get off work until late so Heidi went to Casey’s to gas up her parent’s mini van and get another look. As she paid for the gas, Nate informed her, “just so you know, I’M A JESUS FREAK!”  Yup, no surprises here, folks! And at 11pm, that’s pretty much how the date went: Nate talked about Jesus, Heidi suppressed disgust and went to the bathroom frequently to escape from Jesus.  But when the conversation strayed from Biblical topics, the two actually enjoyed each other’s company.  Heidi felt strangely at ease carrying on a conversation with this person who was now quite intriguing...she had never met anyone like him before. Nate found out that this quiet girl lit up when talking about music and actually became passionate about it.  Nate liked talking to a good listener and Heidi liked being talked to...it was a strangely successful blind date over coffee & pie at Village Inn at midnight.  Before he dropped her off, Nate asked Heidi out on a “real” date the very next night.  His goal was to prove to himself he could be something other than a mack when it came to women.  

On their second date, Nate opened every door for Heidi and paid her compliments. He chose what happened to be her favorite restaurant and after dinner he drove to a secluded spot to park.  Much to Heidi’s surprise, this was so he could tell her his life story! Heidi thought, "his life used to be exciting" and for the first time she saw his potential since he used to be cool! The next day was Easter and, just like Carole’s dream, Nate acted and Heidi sang in the Easter drama. During the alter call, Heidi left the service to go to the bathroom...and privately gave her life back to Jesus.  Nate knew something was different and Heidi told him she was back in relationship with Jesus.  Nate called Heidi the next day and after a long conversation, Heidi decided to move closer to her family...and closer to Nate.

After 3 weeks and two days of knowing each other, the unofficial couple went to church together just like any other Sunday morning.  That morning the pastor’s sermon was titled “Master Charge or Master in Charge” and Nate went forward for prayer to get out of debt.  He saw a vision of himself and Heidi holding hands and she had an engagement ring on, complete with big, sparkly diamond.  He was shocked and asked God if that was Him speaking...Nate felt peace.  He hadn’t planned on getting married anytime soon so he stayed at the alter arguing with God and trying to figure out a way around God’s command...but he couldn’t.  His only peace came with the thought of getting married.  Heidi  was waiting and waiting, wondering what was he doing at the front of the church?! Finally the pastor made them leave so the church could be locked up and a very quiet Nate walked out.  He was very deep in thought and unusually silent as Heidi drove us down the road so she asked him if he was ok.  “God wants me to marry you!” Nate blurted out.  Heidi was shocked! That’s the last thing she had expected, but she heard herself say, “uh...yes!”.  Nate was baffled: he hadn’t popped the question, he was merely explaining what was the matter!  

They decided to get some lunch and talk it over.  It was a beautiful April day so they grabbed some burgers and had a picnic in the park.  They were both a little giddy about the whole thing.  The spontaneousness was exhilarating and their true feelings came out: they both believed the other was the “right” person... they just hadn’t thought it would be right NOW!  Somewhere in the midst of going to every possible church service and asking married couples our favorite question: how did you two meet...how did you KNOW...somewhere in there we had fallen for each other...it was just all happening so quickly.  We needed a clear answer that this was God’s idea so we decided to go buy that big ring from the jeweler, and if Nate’s credit was accepted it would be God verifying once again that this was His plan for us since, if you recall, Nate had originally asked for prayer because of his overloaded credit.  

Looking at rings was really fun for Heidi until she saw the prices.  Suddenly she didn’t feel comfortable spending thousands of dollars of someone else’s money, someone that she had only known for 3 weeks and two days.  Nate, on the other hand, had always known he wasn’t about to buy his future wife some cheap ring, so he was wheeling and dealing.  Heidi handed over the whole decision to him and he picked out the rock.  Just as the couple planned, Nate applied for the Jeweler’s credit and they said they’d have an answer on Wednesday.  It was a weird next few days: were they engaged or not?  By Wednesday they were both on pins and needles.  After Nate got out of classes, the couple went to his apartment and, guess what?! There was a message on his answering machine, “This is Sartor Hamen jewelers, come pick up your ring!”

Nate & Heidi were married March 29, 1997, exactly one year from the day they met and the rest has been a great journey!

Full time ministry in October 1998

Israel was born in November 1999

Corban was born in February 2001

Shekinah was born in June 2002

Zion was born in October 2003

Built our dream house in 2007