I took a class the other day entitled Generations at Work. I
thought it would be helpful in my workplace as well as in my relationships with
people of all ages. There were 30 people
in the class which consisted of men and women from different generations. I sat down next to a woman I had walked in
with and who I remembered from a previous class. I quickly noticed the woman on the other side
of me had pictures of children on her cell phone. After asking her if they were her
grandchildren, we then began to share photos and stories of our families. I had settled in for my four hour class and
was quite comfortable.
“Always
be prepared…”
After a little while we were instructed to count off around
our tables and move to a new group according to our assigned number. I was placed at a table with a man and a woman
around my age and we enjoyed discussing the “good old days” of our youth. We reminisced about unlocked doors and
multiple generations in the home. The
gentleman mentioned the days gone by in his home as being a spiritual
time. As he spoke I could tell he had a
grandmother who loved the Lord.
“Always
be prepared…”
Soon we were directed to choose a listener, a speaker and an
observer for a listening exercise. In our group the man was the speaker, the
other woman was the listener and I was the observer. The speaker was told he had three minutes to
talk about anything he wanted, anything. The listener was told to empty her filter,
that is, to remove any junk or preconceived notions, listen, and repeat back
all that was said. My job was to watch,
and watch I did, in amazement, as God announced His presence at our table.
“Always
be prepared…”
The speaker began telling us of a phone call he had received
from a friend. The friend had a question
about where God was in the loss of life during the hurricane that occurred
recently. This man shared a clear and
loving response to his friend which began with the fall of Adam and Eve. He shared God’s desire for the beautiful
garden to be their home instead of the one filled with thistles and briars
where they lived after their disobedience. He spoke of Satan and the evil in our world. He then told the man of God’s love and
basically assured him that God’s back is never turned on the good or bad events
in our lives. This gentle man had taken his
friend’s question and handed him back hope. As the man shared I could not stop smiling. As she listened attentively, so she could
repeat back what he said, I wondered what she was thinking. When it was her turn she spoke back, almost verbatim,
all of the words he had spoken. This may
have been the first time she had ever spoken words about the power and love of
God. I will never know, but He does.
“Always
be prepared…”
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Did I mention that this man was so excited
to share his story that he started before the timer was set and he had to stop
and wait? He had begun with, “The other
day I got a call from a friend who had a question,” and then he had to stop. This did not derail him. God had His way. I am wondering how often you
and I get derailed and don’t let God have His way when we need to speak hope
into a situation? I think sometimes we become so accustomed to looking beyond a
person that we don’t really see them or their circumstance. As a result we
don’t realize their desperation for hope; the hope we have in Jesus. Are you prepared at a moment’s notice to give
someone a reason for the hope you have?
Jesus has promised to supply everything we need to do what He has called
us to do, so lets do it!
“Always be prepared…”
~Donna Bowles
Dear
God, please help me to always be prepared to give a person hope in the name of
your son, Jesus. I do not want to be
distracted or derailed from the opportunity to share your story with someone who
desperately needs You. Please help me to
remember that my job is obedience and your job is results.
Amen
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