Wouldn’t you love it if every time something bad happened, all you had to say was a “magic word” and your bad situation would some how work out for your good instead?

Believe it or not, God can take a bad situation and turn it around for your good. Many years ago, back in the early 1990’s, Michael and I read a book. I do not even know what the name of the book was or who wrote it. A friend gave it to us to read and I returned it.  The entire book was about how God can take a bad circumstance and make something good out of it if you ask Him.

Michael and I began to use this principle in our lives. When something bad would happen, we would ask God to do a “turnabout“.  The word “turnabout” was our own little coined phrase.  We were amazed to see how God worked in our lives.  Asking Him for “turnabouts” became a way of life for us. When God was first teaching us about “turnabouts,” He gave us plenty of experiences to put our faith into action.

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In the mid 90’s, the Promise Keepers movement was really popular. Large groups of men would gather in convention centers and have church services for the weekend.  Michael’s friend asked him to go to the Atlanta Convention with their church group. Michael was not all that keen on going, but he really wanted to encourage the friend who asked him to go. I was all for Michael going. I did not have any trouble packing his bags and getting him on the bus! I wanted him to go and learn something!

This group was going to Atlanta on a chartered bus. There is just something about a church trip; the bus MUST break down.  The company did bring another bus for them to transfer to, but this set them behind. Since they arrived late in Atlanta, they were not able to check into the hotel first, nor were they able to eat. They went straight to the Convention Center.  It ended late into the evening, then everyone went to get something to eat afterwards. Traffic was awful; restaurants were jam-packed; hotels were full. There were about seventy thousand extra people in Atlanta due to this Promise Keepers Meeting.

When Michael’s group arrived at the hotel to check in, it was after 1:00 in the morning. Everyone had previously made hotel reservations, so their rooms were ready and waiting on them. Michael had reserved a handicap room as usual, and he was ready to get in bed. When he got to the counter to get his room, the receptionist said, “We don’t have your room.”  Michael told her that he had reserved and paid for a handicap room in his name several months previous. She said, “Another Michael Hannon checked into your room over an hour ago.” She also said that she did not have another handicap room, but that Michael could have the other guy’s room. What are the odds? Really? Another ‘Michael Hannon’? At the same hotel in Atlanta, Ga?  On the same night?

Well, regular rooms do NOT work. For starters, the bathroom door usually is not wide enough for a wheel chair to get through. However, Michael said that he would go and look at the room and see if he could use it. It was no surprise to him that the room would not work.

After looking at the regular room, He went back to the lobby and told them that it would not work. Of course, there were no other hotels in all of Atlanta. Everyone was booked months in advance. Michael called me and told me the situation. We discussed that we were going to use this opportunity to believe God to do a “turnabout” for him in this situation. By now it was about two am.  Michael had to be up at 5:30 to get ready for the am session the next day.

Finally, the manager came and said, “I’m going to give you the key to another room. Go look at it and see if you can use this one.” Michael and his friend went up the elevator once again. This time they went all the way to the top.  The presidential top, that is! Oh, yeah! He could use this room! It had two separate bedrooms, a conference room, two bathrooms including a Jacuzzi, three TVs, a wet bar, a shoe shining station, and a full kitchen!!

Boy! Did this room ever more beat a regular hotel room! You can bet that I got another call from Michael describing this room in detail.  God did it up right! He surely turned this situation around. It could have been a very dismal situation for Michael, but God worked it out completely.

Michael’s friend said that anytime he had to go on a trip again, he was going to take Michael along to be his buddy. They got the Presidential Suite, were first in line to get into the convention center each time, and they got to sit in a special upfront area – all because of Michael’s wheelchair! Believe me! You take the perks when you can get them!  🙂

God is so good.  What potentially could have been a very bad situation for Michael turned into something very nice – all because God did a “turnabout.”  I believe that anytime life gives us lemons, we must make lemonade out of it. Sugar makes extremely sour lemons very palatable. God makes the ugly sour things in our life sweet and palatable, and even enjoyable. He wants us to ask Him for his help. He is ready to show us just how great He can make an undesirable situation turn out.

1. When something is going very wrong for you, stop and ask God to turn the situation around for your good (ask Him to do a “turnabout”).  It doesn’t take a long prayer.  It does, however, take your faith to add to the mix.  You are saying, “God, I am having faith that You are working this out for me right now.”  Once you ask God to do a “turnabout” for you, watch to see what will happen.
2. Keep a good attitude while God is working on things in your behalf.  Michael could have told the hotel receptionist a choice thing or two.  They did give his handicap room away.  I’m sure they could see that the other Michael Hannon was not in a wheel chair.  Michael’s good attitude made the manager “desire” to help Michael out and find him something suitable that would work for him.  You catch more flies with honey!
3. Use “turnabouts” as a Way of Life.  This card is good for life!  You can use it as many times as you would like.  Once you use it a few times and realize how great it is, you will want to use “turnabouts” on ALL bad situations.  It is especially good when the enemy just wants to give you some trouble.  God turns your trouble into your triumph!

Have you ever had a “turnabout” happen in your life?  Be sure to share this with a friend who could use it!