Spurred on by Pastor Klemm’s sermon on Sunday, the story of Saul’s conversion in Act, and the concept that many sow seeds in our lives preparing us for our own conversion experiences, I’ve been thinking the last few hours about how many people influenced the growth of my faith. God put these people in my life at just the right time, for His purposes. And I, hopefully continue to pass on that tradition to others through my prayer, actions, writing, and caring attitude.
That’s the way God works. He knows all things. He knows who will listen to His message, because even before they were born, He knew they would be among his followers. He knew many would believe, but few would follow. Those are the influencers of others to continue His kingdom, for His glory.
I think of the elder in my first church who passed out peppermints to us restless children just before the sermon. We had already spent an hour with our Sunday School teachers, I remember each of them by name and thank them now for sowing the seeds. There were no programs for children. We were expected to listen to the sermons. I did, more or less. Actually, I spent time reading the bulletin and wondering what the word “indicates” meant. It had an asterisk (that little star thing) in front of “indicates the congregation will rise.” I waited, week after week, for the people to fly up to the sky like angels.
That naivitee was nurtured by pastors Van Dyke, Hoffman, Walvoord, college professors and counselors at Hope College, another Hoffman, Baird, Hendley, Sikes, Whittle, McLeod, and now Klemm, Harris, Shiver, Lum Shue Chan, Culley –forgive me if I’ve missed some along the way. Thousands of sermon, great Biblical teaching, Bible studies, small groups, discipleship groups, choirs, and hundreds of Missions Weeks, Easters, and Christmases. Many have poured the gospel into my life, and I am grateful.
Then, I’ve been thinking of the not-so-random acts of kindness and love poured into our family’s life, all in the name of Jesus. Dr. Johnson who operated on my mother-in-law and husband the same month Paul was born. The encouragers of our marriage: the Nahodyls, Armstrongs, Wares, and others who nurtured us through early days and extended family difficulties. And I think of the Clouds of Witnesses in our professional lives and through ten moves. When we get to heaven, we will hug those we’ve treasured in this lifetime for extending the hand of Christ to us, and also to our children, and now to our grandchildren. This is what Christians do for each other, and we never know when the kind word, the welcome meal, the bless you bouquet, the encouragement card, the hospital visit, or the hug remind us that wherever we go, the fellowship of Christians is precious, and always brings us peace and grace.
Today, find an opportunity to bless someone in a specific way. Our small group yesterday mourned, yet celebrated Jay Givens’ life with us, and the blessing he was to each of us. He sowed many seeds for others to harvest. As we discussed the Ecclesiastes chapter, you know the one: “a time to be born, a time to die; a time to mourn, a time to dance,” we concluded that heaven will be a place where people we’ve known, those who have influenced us for Christ, and those we’ve influenced–sometimes without even knowing or remembering the occasion–will greet us with joy. That’s the true meaning of peace and grace through Christ.
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