We had a missionary homecoming last week.  I usually bring a book to sacrament meeting, because I often find the talks dreadful, but this particular missionary gave a rather entertaining talk.  He told two experiences in which he bore testimony that God had helped him, but I greatly question whether God had anything to do with them at all.

In his first story, he told about a time when his companion had already gone to bed.  He had just finished using the bathroom, and unfortunately the toilet clogged.  Water was pouring everywhere, and he couldn’t get it to stop.  He even broke the plunger while trying to unclog the toilet.  He said a prayer in his flooded bathroom, and he swears that God answered his prayer and unclogged the toilet.  Seriously?  This is evidence of God’s power?

In the second story, he said that his companionship shared a car with some sister missionaries.  His appointment went long, and they were late returning the car to the sisters.  He says that God prompted him to wear his seatbelt, which he usually doesn’t wear.  He went on his mission to the southern U.S., and said he was going about 80 mph on a dirt road when he failed to navigate a corner, and crashed the car.  He thanked God for prompting him to wear a seatbelt and saving his life.

But was it really God who saved him?  Could it be that he knew he was going to drive recklessly and decided that prudence made him wear a seatbelt?  Wouldn’t God have prompted him to slow down and drive safer?

It makes me wonder how often we attribute our stupid actions to God’s grace, and similarly, how often do we blame God for things God had nothing to do with?  Do you have any strange sacrament meeting talks you’d like to share?