God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise

God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce,

"Today--at the latest, tomorrow--we're off to such and such

a city for the year; we're going to start a business and make

a lot of money."  You don't know the first thing about

tomorrow.  You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief

bit of sun before disappearing.  Instead, make it a habit to say,

"If the Master will it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that.

James 4:13-15

My father was not a practicing Christian, but Dad was a very good man with little education and a lot of back-alley wisdom.  He had a whole raft of proverbs and sayings that peppered his speech - a habit that he passed on to his kids.  When he announced that he personally, or we as a family, were going to do this or do that, he would always end it by saying, "God willing and the creek don't rise." 

This month I am celebrating my 13^th anniversary of cancer surgery. Every time I go in for my annual appointment, my oncologist reassures me that the cancer is long gone.  I know that her assurances are based on her vast knowledge of cancers in general and my tumor in particular, but the fact is, a cancer-free life is not guaranteed to me or any other survivor.  Cancer has a mind of its own, so I face the future with great hope and a healthy respect for my adversary.  There is still a great deal that I want to do with my life – God willing, and the creek don’t rise!

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I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day.

I don’t borrow from its sunshine, for the skies may turn to grey.

I don’t worry o’er the future, for I know what Jesus said.

And today I’ll walk beside Him, for He knows  what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand.

But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.

Hymns for the Family of God, No. 96