Trusting God with Your Worst-Case Scenario

They started talking about how crowded our school was back in May, and my brilliant mind told a story of how I would have to go back to my tiny classroom–no wait–maybe I wouldn’t even have a classroom and would have to travel to borrowed rooms, since I was a part-time teacher. Cue full-blown panic. I do panic well.

But I had a mantra I grabbed onto with both hands:

Let the worst happen! Let the worst happen, and God and I will go on together in the abundance of his being.  (Dallas Willard, in Life without Lack.)

It is very brave to say this out loud.

At the end of last year, I was told I would just be going back to my tiny classroom. Phew. Okay, it would be uncomfortable, but I could handle that. Disaster averted.

Until we were a week before school started this year and I got a phone call. “More and more students are signing up for your first-year class. We’re looking for solutions.” The story ends with me having 27 students signed up for my first-year class and no ability in the schedule this year to divide that group into two for another class. The end of the story is that I would have to travel to another big room for that class every day this year.

My middle of the night, panic scenario was coming true.

But I’m writing to you today to tell you one thing: my worst-case scenario has really happened, and it has been wonderful! God and I have been doing each day together, and he has shown me the abundance of what it means to walk with him. He has helped me get organized for what I call “The Traveling Spanish Show.” The room I’m going to is huge, and I’m able to walk around and interact with my students, which I could never do in my tiny room. Traveling has also forced me to be even more prepared as a teacher than I’ve ever had to be before, which is of great benefit to me and my students. And the teacher who is sharing his room with me is so kind and helpful. It’s challenging for sure, but I’m loving it and yesterday I even said these magical words, Lord, thank you so much for placing me here in this huge space!

Let me say it out loud: That thing I was fearing the most is dripping with blessings that I could not have imagined –proof that God was standing ready with an abundance of help to give me in my hardest circumstance.

So let’s talk about what you’re afraid of. Walk out the story to its most terrifying edges. Now trying saying, “Let the worst happen!” and then use that same imagination of yours to walk out the story to God’s most abundant provision. I know some of you are facing more grave circumstances than simply being inconvenienced in your job, but the same truth expands to fit the sobriety of your situation. Could you rest and trust God to show you who he will be if what you don’t want to happen actually happens? He is waiting to pour out his grace on your future scenario.

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