It wasn’t particularly late when I pulled up in my yard. I stood outside a minute and looked at the star-studded sky, then climbed my front steps onto the porch. My husband had fallen asleep in his chair; all the lights were off and apparently Frank, our dog, had dozed off as well. I wasn’t supposed to be sneaking in his front door after bedtime, but there I was.

As I opened the door, Frank ran at me, baring his teeth, and growling. I stepped back into the light of the front porch and spoke to him. I’m pretty sure he would have tried to catch me had I not spoken when I did.

Me sneaking up on them last night made me think about how help often arrives-unsuspecting. There’s an old story about a man who was in a flood. He climbed to the top of his house and prayed, “Oh Lord, rescue me. Save me.”

Just then a man came by on a raft and offered him a ride. “Oh no,” he replied. “My God will rescue me.”

A little while later a man came by on a boat and offered him a ride, “Oh no,” he replied. “My God will rescue me.”

Finally, as the flood waters rose higher, a helicopter buzzed over and offered him a ride, “Oh no,” he replied. “My God will rescue me.”

The floodwaters rose and slowly engulfed the man. When he stood before God, the man asked him, “Where were you? Why didn’t you rescue me?”

“I sent you a raft, a boat, and a helicopter, but you didn’t get on board,” God replied. “I sent my people to rescue you, but you refused their help.”

Sometimes, as we cry out for help, the help may not come packaged like we expect. Help often sneaks up on us and we are unsuspecting, even rejecting or missing the boat completely. We may even be like Frank, and charge at the help God sends; baring our teeth and growling because we don’t recognize help when we see it.

May we be open to the help God sends, even when the message we receive is hard or the help comes packaged differently than expected. God’s answers to our prayers for help aren’t always what we expect, but I can guarantee they will always be on time.