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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"Willing to be Used by God"
July 17, 2008
To say that my friend Bob has had a difficult year, is an understatement.
He had a kidney stone and started having problems walking. Then he found
that he needed back surgery. Complications followed and with the surgery
they found cancer. It seemed like every time he got news, it was worse
than the time before. As a result, Bob found himself in a rehabilitation
center for a short time and then in an extended hospital stay. He was not
happy.
It hasn't been easy for Bob because he is used to doing and serving others.
He is a veteran, a retired teacher, an active layman at church, and a
member of Literacy Volunteers. He served in city government, was on the
Library Board, the Cable Television Advisory Panel and was an active
member of the Norwich Rotary Club. The sitting still and waiting for the
next shoe to drop was not his style.
The truth is that a lot of us face trials in life. Too often they tend to
intimidate us. Feelings of despair and a great sense of loss get us down and
paralyze us. We shrink away from others and sometimes we even get
angry with God for allowing this to happen.
No one knew this better than the Prophet Elijah. After a tremendous display
of faith that allowed him to prove to one and all that the God of Israel was
supreme, he became a marked man. A bounty was placed on his head. The
whole world seemed to turn against him. He fled to the wilderness. He was
alone and that faith that seemed so strong a few days before, was nowhere
to be found.
Do you remember what happened? Elijah was hiding in a cave when God
came to him and asked him why he was so despondent. Elijah starts
complaining to God about how unfair the world was. Then a mighty wind,
a powerful earthquake and a roaring fire passed by the mountain. The
scriptures say that after these there was a still small voice that spoke to
him.
In that voice was the assurance that God would be with him and that he
had more work to do. I think my friend Bob heard that voice the other day.
Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Bob did something that was quite
unthinkable.
Did I mention that Bob was a justice of the peace? While he was in the
hospital Bob heard that there was a young man who had hoped to be
married. Facing a cancer diagnosis of his own, and long hospital stays, this
young man and his fiance didn't know if they would ever be able to see
their dream come true. Like something you see in the movies, word got out
about Bob and a meeting was arranged and a wedding planned right there
in the hospital.
When I talked to Bob about it later, he was overjoyed because he was
being used by God to bless someone else. His stay in the hospital actually
seemed more like a part of God's plan now. For if he hadn't been there and
been available, the miracle couldn't have happened. What a difference a day
makes!
Maybe we can all take a lesson from Bob's story. God is always with us
even if things aren't going well. Especially in those times, if we are open to
God, he will find a way to use us to bless others. In doing so, we too will
find our blessing.
God bless., See you in Church. Cal
July 17, 2008
To say that my friend Bob has had a difficult year, is an understatement.
He had a kidney stone and started having problems walking. Then he found
that he needed back surgery. Complications followed and with the surgery
they found cancer. It seemed like every time he got news, it was worse
than the time before. As a result, Bob found himself in a rehabilitation
center for a short time and then in an extended hospital stay. He was not
happy.
It hasn't been easy for Bob because he is used to doing and serving others.
He is a veteran, a retired teacher, an active layman at church, and a
member of Literacy Volunteers. He served in city government, was on the
Library Board, the Cable Television Advisory Panel and was an active
member of the Norwich Rotary Club. The sitting still and waiting for the
next shoe to drop was not his style.
The truth is that a lot of us face trials in life. Too often they tend to
intimidate us. Feelings of despair and a great sense of loss get us down and
paralyze us. We shrink away from others and sometimes we even get
angry with God for allowing this to happen.
No one knew this better than the Prophet Elijah. After a tremendous display
of faith that allowed him to prove to one and all that the God of Israel was
supreme, he became a marked man. A bounty was placed on his head. The
whole world seemed to turn against him. He fled to the wilderness. He was
alone and that faith that seemed so strong a few days before, was nowhere
to be found.
Do you remember what happened? Elijah was hiding in a cave when God
came to him and asked him why he was so despondent. Elijah starts
complaining to God about how unfair the world was. Then a mighty wind,
a powerful earthquake and a roaring fire passed by the mountain. The
scriptures say that after these there was a still small voice that spoke to
him.
In that voice was the assurance that God would be with him and that he
had more work to do. I think my friend Bob heard that voice the other day.
Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Bob did something that was quite
unthinkable.
Did I mention that Bob was a justice of the peace? While he was in the
hospital Bob heard that there was a young man who had hoped to be
married. Facing a cancer diagnosis of his own, and long hospital stays, this
young man and his fiance didn't know if they would ever be able to see
their dream come true. Like something you see in the movies, word got out
about Bob and a meeting was arranged and a wedding planned right there
in the hospital.
When I talked to Bob about it later, he was overjoyed because he was
being used by God to bless someone else. His stay in the hospital actually
seemed more like a part of God's plan now. For if he hadn't been there and
been available, the miracle couldn't have happened. What a difference a day
makes!
Maybe we can all take a lesson from Bob's story. God is always with us
even if things aren't going well. Especially in those times, if we are open to
God, he will find a way to use us to bless others. In doing so, we too will
find our blessing.
God bless., See you in Church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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