Words from Wendy

“Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your
eyes wide open in gratitude. Pray that
every time I open my mouth I’ll be able to
make Christ plain as day to them.” -
Colossians 4:2,4

As we begin a new season with school starting, retirement sinks in, school sports are in full swing, harvesting is beginning, and we are getting used to a new schedule. Colossians 4 reminds us to stay alert, with our eyes wide open in gratitude.
Two instances come to mind that I use as examples when I talk with others. One was when I took some youth outside for a break. I asked them What do you hear? I received some odd looks, and one youth said Traffic? Good I replied, what is it that you hear of this Traffic? As the youth began to listen, they talked about the rumbling of the tires, how they get louder the closer they come, and how the rumbling slowly fades away as they pass by. I said Awesome. We walked on a bit further, and one said Is that running water? I replied yes, and they said I had never heard that before and didn’t know the creek was so close. Another replied that the wind through the trees makes a musical sound, depending on the tree. Another said I hadn’t known that the birds were so noisy. I stopped and said, “Let’s thank God for all we have heard today.” One youth stated, “Really, that’s all we have to do?” Yes, I replied, as that is a way of God talking to you, and the more you communicate, the more He speaks, and the more you learn and build a relationship with God.
The other time was during Bible Study, and one of the joiners said she doesn’t feel comfortable talking about Jesus with people. She described what she thought walking into a restaurant and conversing with someone about knowing Jesus would be like. Sure, I say Hi, but that is about the extent. I laughed and said, “Oh, how you have no idea how many lives you have touched, moved, changed just by you saying Hi, and then what came after that was God’s work through you.” She looked stunned, and soon, others joined in saying she had inspired them to attend Bible Study and Church, and being an example of how to be thankful for even the littlest things. How her wisdom, knowledge, and relationship with God through the Bible teach others from a different lens that they would not have looked at it that way before. As she sat in silence, tears rolled down her cheeks, beyond humbled by what she heard, that when she opened her mouth, she could make Christ plain as day to them.

Peace,
SAM/Intern Wendy