If it is the Lord's Will

A pastor was outside sitting on his porch one day and thinking about the unpredictability of life. At any moment, one's life could change, and so one should live every moment looking to the Lord. As the preacher sat there, his neighbor passed by leading his horse. The preacher called out to him, "What are you doing with your horse?" The man answered, "I'm going to town to sell it." The pastor said, "You ought to say that you are going to sell it if it is the Lord's will." The man replied, "What does this have to do with the Lord's will? This is a good, healthy horse and it will be sold before you know it." The pastor said, "Have you forgotten that God is watching you? You need to put everything in God's hands in order for it to work out. You should say, 'If it be the Lord's will.'" The neighbor then said, "This is my horse and I have raised it specifically to be sold. I've even gotten a buyer for it. The Lord won't change anything."

Later that day, the neighbor passed by the preacher's house again. He was covered in dirt, his clothes were ripped to shreds, and he was bruised and sore from one end to the other. The astonished pastor asked, "What in the world happened to you?" The man replied, "Well, I talked to you for so long that I was running late for my appointment with my buyer. To get there on time, I took a short cut through a corn field owned by a cranky old buzzard. Well, that farmer saw me trampling through his field and he started shooting at my horse. The horse panicked and fell over on top of me, then it kicked me in the eye. Trying to get out from under the horse, I tore my clothes to pieces. I ran from that old man and his gun and ran smack dab into a barbed wire fence. That's what happened to me!" The pastor asked, "Well, where are you going now?" The man answered, "Well, I'm going home now... if it be the Lord's will."

Mattoon's Treasures - Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from Exodus, Volume 1.