CHRIST IN WINTER: REFLECTIONS ON FAITH AND LIFE FOR
THE YEARS OF WINTER…
I was driving a friend to
the doctor recently when he mentioned that the key to good driving is to be
constantly “gathering information” about the situation around you as you drive,
to use when you need it.
I was aware of that, of
course. I have always done that, scanned the areas ahead and behind my car,
scanned the roadsides, watched for people [and when we lived in Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula, watched for deer and bears.] I had never thought of it before,
though, as “gathering information.” It was just driving. But I like his take on
it, because it’s the way of life.
As we go through life, if
we’re smart, we pay attention to what’s ahead and behind, what’s along the
roadsides, who might run out into the way and cause an accident. We gather
information. We won’t need all of it. Some will be irrelevant. But we’ll have
it if we need it.
I think that was what I
did best as a pastor—gather information. That was why I was able to perform the
“miracle” I talked about in the post of
titled “A Miracle for a Little Sister,” on W, 7-18. I gathered
information from and about everyone I met. After that “big sister” had left, I
got to thinking about my gathered information and realized I knew a family that
might meet her need.
As a pastor, I was just a
conduit—between people and God, and between people in need and people who could
meet that need.
Now that I am no longer a
pastor, I continue to do that, and I am finally realizing that’s what all
Christians do. We gather information, so that when the world needs it, we have
it.
Here is a good piece of
information I gathered from a hymn by Maltie Babcock: “Though the wrong seems
oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”’
JRMcF
Remember that Katie
Kennedy’s WHAT GOES UP is out now in
paperback. And my VETS is always
available in paperback. So is NOW THAT I
HAVE CANCER I AM WHOLE.
No comments:
Post a Comment