Go ahead – start hollering, stand up and do jumping-jacks, or do whatever you do when something makes you really happy. Why? Because I’m taking a break from talking about Jeffrey and his college capers for awhile (Our God – Always On Time), and I’m sure some of you are relieved!
What I wanted to write about today is a time when someone went out of their way for me – and they weren’t even sure who “me” was!
Let’s set the stage:
The Lord God called my sister Sonja to take over the teaching duties for the Federal Way, Washington Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class a number of years ago. No, she wasn’t looking to do such a thing (standing in front of a large group of women isn’t something she’s comfortable with), but she stepped out in obedience and the Lord has blessed her and the group of women she’s teaching tremendously.
Unfortunately for me, she started leading the BSF classes after we had moved from Federal Way to Oregon, so I never was able to attend with her.
Until one time a few years after we’d moved away.
I had been able to drive up to Seattle for a few days to spend a week with her the first year that Jeffrey was in college. I was so excited to hear her speak!
She had to leave to get to the church early, so I got there right before the closing lecture began. I found a spot to sit, and was thrilled to see a few faces I recognized from when we’d lived up there years before.
When my sister got to the podium and started to speak, I was amazed – was that my sister who was so calm, cool and collected? Well, yes it was!
Anyway, I was blessed in opening the Word of my God and studying with the other women.
When it was over, I hung out for awhile while Sonja got everything put back in order for church the following week, and then she and I slipped into the ladies room before heading out.
Later that afternoon she had a few things to do, so I was hanging out at her house until she got home. When the doorbell rang, I decided to go and answer it.
Outside stood a woman I’d never met, who asked me if the Bible she was holding in her hand belonged to me!
I was floored…
Evidently she’d gone into the ladies room after Sonja and I had left the church, and saw a Bible laying on the back of a commode. She didn’t recognize the name in it, but then she remembered my sister saying during the lecture that I was in town visiting for a week so she figured she’d take a chance and drive over to Sonja’s house to see if it was mine!
Now let me tell you that my sister and her husband did not live real close to the church where BSF was held, so it wasn’t just like she had to drive a few blocks. Instead she probably had to drive at least 20 minutes to reach Sonja’s house – and she wasn’t even positive that she was holding my Bible!
I was moved to tears that someone I didn’t even know would go to that effort. And I later started wondering how I would’ve handled the same situation if I’d been her.
I can certainly see myself going to the bathroom (well, duh), and if I found a Bible just laying on a commode would certainly think someone left it there. But then what?
Quite frankly I don’t know if I would’ve done anything! I probably would have just thought “oh, gee – I hope whoever left this here remembers it;” or possibly I might’ve brought it to the church office.
But would I have asked the Lord what I should do? Probably not.
I believe this sweet gal had a listening ear, and heard the Lord’s promptings. So she was obedient, and went to the extra effort to drive over to my sister’s house to see if it belonged to me.
Friends, it says in 1 Samuel 15:22 that obedience is better than sacrifice. We can do a lot of lip-service about how we’re doing so much for God and how spiritual we are, but are your ears open to hear God’s still small voice – and then do what He says even though it may not make a lot of sense?
The God Of All Comfort 