I heard this story when I was younger. A small town somewhere in the middle of nowhere had a real bad storm one year. It was so bad that the entire town began to prepared for a flood that was coming. Everyone stocked up and did what it took to make sure they were ready. Everyone except one man. His name was Daniel, if I remember correctly. Daniel's best friends and family begged him to save something or do anything to prepare. He just sat in his house and scoffed at them. He waived off anyone that came near. Finally, his best friend came to him and didn't leave until Daniel answered why he didn't want to get ready or save himself.
"I will not be a fool, like the rest of you. You scurry around like rats and gather goods like ants. It's of no use. If you are meant to die, you will. If I am meant to live, God will save me."
People pleaded with him as the water came into his house and began to make a mess of things. He still sat there. Finally his loved ones had to leave. He stayed in his house.
A few weeks later, the rains continued. Daniel woke up and the house was submerged in water. As he coughed for air, he swam to the open door and sat on the roof. He sat there and waited. His family had warned rescuers that Daniel was still in the area, so they sent a boat to pick him up. He didn't get on the boat. The officers tried to force him on, but he didn't budge. They asked him why.
"Why go with you? If I am meant to die, I will die here, or there, on your boat, with you. If I am meant to live, I will live here or with you."
The rescuers left. Daniel sat and the rain continued, to the point that the entire house, including where Daniel sat, was deep under water. He climbed onto a nearby tree, and hung as the winds blew fiercely. He sat there and waited. A helicopter somehow made it through the winds and rain and threw a ladder down, asking Daniel to come up with them.
"No! I will die here in this tree or up in the air with you, it does not matter. I will wait for God to come."
Suddenly a blot of lighting struck the tree and the man was killed. The current carried his body down the way and he was never found. But I know what happened next, because he told me.
You see, Daniel came to me. He came to me and asked me a question.
"Why Lord, why did you not save me? Why didn't you come for me? Why did you let me die when I had so much to live for?"
"What do you mean? My son, I sent warnings in nature to prepare you for the storm. I sent your family and friends to tell you to get ready. I sent you a boat with saviors. I sent you a helicopter. Finally, I brought you to the one place you'd be safe forever."
"No, you were supposed to come for me! You were supposed to make your presence known."
"Daniel, who told you what I looked like? Where did you see a picture of me? Who lied and told you what the Truth was?"
Daniel stood in front of me, and he lowered his head into his hands. He wept.
So I tell you this story not because you need to believe I exist. It's for the opposite reason I tell you this. I do it because I do not want you to believe in me, or any other "higher being", until you believe in yourself. Don't be so convinced that your heroes will look like God. Don't be so determined to find the perfect situation.
After all, what is perfection?
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