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A "NORTHERN LIGHTS"
MAGAZINE ARTICLE
(from Issue #497)
Our
Godsend
by Chris Greer
For me, this story will
always be a reminder of God's gracious guidance and power to
answer prayer.
The adventure started
over a year ago as I visited NCEM missionaries, Phil and Gracie
Welch. You see, I am the pastor of their home church. I had visited
them on this day and had a wonderful time with them. As I left to
travel back home, I began to pray for their ministry and for the
ministry of NCEM here in Cape Breton.
I asked the Lord to open
our church to ministry to the Native people in our region. I even
dared to ask God very specifically for a Native man to befriend and
minister to, helping him to come to a knowledge of Christ. Of course
I prayed that this might be in accordance with God's will but, to
be honest, I prayed it in little faith, not expecting God to do
this.
That was a Tuesday
night. The following Thursday morning I sat in my office when the
phone rang. When I answered it, there was an unfamiliar voice on the
other end. The dialect seemed different and the voice seemed slurred
a bit.
But what the man asked
was clear. He asked if I could answer some questions he had about
the Bible. I told him I would do my best, and the questions started.
I faithfully tried to answer his questions, all the time praying for
help and trying to understand what this call was really about.
Finally, as the
conversation wound down, I asked the man on the other end who he
was. He informed me that he was Henry, an 82 year-old Native man who
had suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair.
I just about fell off my
chair! God had miraculously inspired this man to call me. This was
the answer to my prayer!
He said that he had
tried to contact other ministers to get his questions answered, but
had been put off without getting any answers. I asked him if it was
alright if I came to visit him. He said, "Anytime. You come
anytime, Reverend!" He gave me his address and phone number.
A few days later I was
sitting in the kitchen of a mobile home, talking face to face with
Henry. He had many questions, and I tried to answer them all. He
told me he'd like to go to church, so I made arrangements to pick
him up and take him.
Henry thought I preached
too long, but he enjoyed the fellowship. He began attending our
little Baptist church on a regular basis, with me going before the
service to pick him up. He brought his wife and two daughters at
first; however, these ladies eventually quit coming. But Henry did
not let that stop his coming to church. Even if they decided not to
come with him, Henry would call me during the week and say,
"Reverend, I'll be ready on Sunday."
One day, on the way to
church, Henry looked at me and commented on all the ceremony within
religion. He said, "Reverend, all of that is not important. To
God it is what is in your heart which is important." I asked
Henry if he had asked Jesus into his heart, and he said that, yes,
he had. After that, I began to notice a change. He rarely spoke of
the old ways, liking to talk about Jesus instead.
Henry called one
Wednesday. He had not felt well for a couple of weeks, but he seemed
to be feeling better. He said maybe the problem was that he had not
had chocolate bars for awhile. Henry loved chocolate, and I would
often bring him chocolate bars -- always three for, in Henry's
words, "Me, myself, and I." I planned to visit Henry on
Friday and take him his "Me, myself and I."
On Thursday afternoon I
got a distress call. I had been out in my yard for just a few
moments when the first call came in. It was followed very shortly by
a second. Henry had passed away quietly at home, and the family
wanted me to come and be with them.
When I got there, Henry's
oldest daughter clung to me and sobbed. Then she said something I
will never forget. She said her father had had so much peace the
past few months because he knew where he was going and was ready to
go. He had mentioned it many times to her in the past few weeks.
I knew Henry had given
his heart to God whom he had first worshiped as the Creator, but had
recently come to know as the loving God who sent His Son to die on
the cross of Calvary for his sins. Henry was indeed ready to go
home.
I preached the following
Sunday morning and saw the spot where Henry often sat in his
wheelchair. It was empty now, but I knew that my dear friend, the
one God had sent me, was now at home in peace with his Saviour.
I marvel at how God led
Henry across my path, and our church is agreed that Henry was a
God-send to our whole congregation. God knew best when to send him,
and God knew when to take him home. I just praise God that we were
found faithful and today my friend is with God.
Chris Greer is a
pastor in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
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