Do we expect too much

We are taught that God will provide for us and that he will take care of us. And yes that is true. Some times we are so confidant of this that we do not recognize when he is sending us the help we need. God does not always work in the way we think he will, or in the matter we want. I am reminded of the old story about the old preacher man that lived out in the county on the banks of the old Mississippi River.
You see, one very wet spring day the old Mississippi River started to rise. It rose over the levee, and kept rising. The old preacher sat on his front porch watching the river rise. Before long some of his neighbors came along in a boat and said " Preacher we are heading for higher ground, better come with us." He said " No, I am staying here, My Lord will take care of me." Well, the water kept rising and soon the preacher had to go to the up-stairs of his house. Another boat came to rescue the old preacher. Again he declined to get aboard the boat. He proclaim " My Lord will take care of me". Before long the water got up to the second story of the old Preachers house. So, he crawls out on the roof of his house. Then along came a helicopter from the Coast Guard. They shouted over the loud speaker, Preacher grab onto the rope and we will pull you aboard and take you to safety. He again decline and hollered back up to the pilot, " NO, My Lord will take care of me and protect me.
Well, the water kept rising and the house drifted down the river in the swift water, and broke up, causing the preacher to fall in the swift water and he drowned. When he got to heaven, he ask the Lord "I have a question". The Lord said what is it my son. He said, " I have always done your work, I have been faithful and done right. When I needed you to save me from the flood you let me die." The Lord said, " My son, I sent two boats and a helicopter and you refused to go. What else could I do .
We can always count on the Lord, but we must recognize when he is trying to send us help. I think we are blinded by expecting the Lord to do all the work for us. We must be willing to help ourselves and let the Lord work through us.