A FAMILY MEMBER BY MARRIAGE MADE A SPECIAL TRIP TO
VISIT ME YESTERDAY, AND BROUGHT ME A SCRAP OF PAPER,
WITH A NAME AND NUMBER SCRIBBLED ON IT. IT SEEMS THAT
WHILE AT WORK, SHE RAN INTO A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAD
SUCH CONFUSION IN HER MIND, THAT SHE WAS WILDLY SEEKING
ADVICE.
I WAS TOLD:
SHE NEEDS YOU TO CALL HER, I TOLD HER I DIDN'T
KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT I KNEW SOMEONE WHO COULD
ANSWER HER QUESTIONS.
CURIOUSLY I ASKED, WHAT WAS THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION?
GOD, OF COURSE. YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON I THOUGHT OF.
WELL! I KNEW I DID NOT DESERVE SUCH A RINGING
ENDORSEMENT OF MY "KNOWLEDGE", BUT I ALSO KNEW THAT
GOD WILL USE WHOM HE WILL USE, SO AFTER PRAYING
ABOUT IT,AND FEELING TOTALLY UNEQUAL TO THE TASK,
I MADE THE CALL, CLUTCHING MY BIBLE, MY COUNSELORS
EDITION, AND THE EXPOSITORS NEW TESTAMENT.
I KNEW BEFORE SHE ANSWERED THE PHONE, PRETTY MUCH
WHAT I WOULD FIND.
A FRAZZLED YOUNG HOUSEWIFE, WITH SEVERAL SMALL
CHILDREN, ANXIOUSLY TRYING TO CONTROL HER BROOD,
WHILE CLEANING UP FROM SUPPER...( I INTENTIONALLY
WAITED UNTIL THE DINNER HOUR WAS OVER WITH) WHILE
VENTING TO ME, AND SEEKING GUIDANCE. ONCE AGAIN, I
FELT THE LORD'S PURPOSE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN
BETTER SERVED, HAD A MINISTER BEEN ON THE LINE.
BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO RETHINK THAT
ASSESSMENT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, I WAS INFORMED THAT
"KAY" HAD ALREADY BEEN TO SEVERAL CHURCHES, AND TALKED
TO MANY MINISTERS, AND TO THE LAST MAN, SHE HAD BEEN
ASSURED HOW IT WOULD ALL WORK OUT FINE, IF SHE WOULD
JUST JOIN THEIR CHURCH.
IT WAS A LESSON IN PATIENCE FOR ME TO ATTEMPT TO CARRY
ON A CONVERSATION WITH HER. EVERY FEW MINUTES, SHE
WOULD BE INTERRUPTED CORRECTING THE CHILDREN, AND
I WAS FINE WITH THAT. IF YOU DON'T DO THIS WHEN ON THE
PHONE, SOMEHOW THE CHILDREN SENSE THAT YOU ARE
INCAPABLE OF DEALING WITH THE CALL, AND THEM AT THE
SAME TIME. I DID OFFER TO TALK TO HER LATER, IF I HAD
CALLED AT A BAD TIME, BUT SHE SAID NO, EVENTUALLY, THEY
WILL SETTLE DOWN. SHE HANDLED IT JUST ABOUT THE WAY
I WOULD HAVE, AND I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO GET ALONG.
SHE DIDN'T YELL AT THEM, AND THEN IGNORE THEM.
SHE CORRECTED THEM, AND THEN BACKED IT UP. IN A SHORT
WHILE, SHE HAD THE GROUP CLEAN-UP RUNNING SMOOTHLY
ONCE AGAIN, AND WHILE SHE CONTINUED TO BOTH DIRECT
AND ASSIST IN THAT TASK, SHE GAVE ME THE BACKGROUND
OF HER SITUATION.
SHE HAD KNOWN THE LORD IN HER YOUTH, BUT ONCE ON HER
OWN, SHE HAD BACKSLIDDEN, AND IN THAT CONDITION,
SHE HAD BEEN APPROUCHED BY MISSIONARIES, PREACHING
ANOTHER JESUS, AND ANOTHER GOSPEL, BOTH OF WHICH
WE ARE WARNED AGAINST IN THE BIBLE.
AS SHE SPOKE, I BEGAN TO REALIZE WHY GOD HAD LAID IT
ON MY HEART TO TALK TO HER, INDEED, WHY HE HAD
ORCHESTRATED OUR CONTACT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
I HAD ONCE BEEN IN THE VERY SAME SITUATION MYSELF.
EVEN THOUGH I HAD FELT, AS I SAID BEFORE, UNEQUAL
TO THE TASK, THE LORD HAD PREPARED ME FOR THIS
EVENTUALITY, AND IN THIS RELM, I HAD A CERTAIN EXPERTISE,
THAT, UNTIL NOW, I WAS NEARLY COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF,
BUT GOD KNEW. HE IS NEVER CAUGHT BY SURPRISE.
STILL, THE GIVE AND TAKE WAS SLOW GOING. SHE WOULD
ASK ME A QUESTION, AND THEN, BEGIN TALKING AGAIN
BEFORE I HAD THE RESPONSE COMPLETED. THIS WENT ON
FOR OVER TWO HOURS, BUT WHEN WE FINALLY SAID OUR
GOODBYES, SHE AT LEAST KNEW THAT IF SHE HAD ANY MORE
CONFUSION, SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET SOME STRAIGHT
ANSWERS FROM ME, AND I KNEW THAT SHE UNDERSTOOD
THAT SHE ALREADY HAD THE RIGHT PATH, SHE JUST NEEDED
TO HOLD THE LINE, STRENGTHEN HER PRAYER LIFE, AND
GET MORE FIRMLY GROUNDED IN THE LORD.
AND, AS SELF SERVING AS IT MAY SOUND, I HAD A CLEARER
PICTURE OF WHAT MY CALLING WAS ABOUT, AND HOW TO
BEST SERVE THE LORD.
AND IT ALL HAD TO DO WITH AN ERA IN MY LIFE THAT, UP TIL
NOW I HAD LOOKED UPON AS ERROR...
WHICH ONLY GOES TO PROVE, THAT NO EXPERIENCE IS
WASTED, WHEN YOU ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT.
OUI?
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