Ready?
Have you been here? Like this shepherd, staring into a fire, feeling like God's promise will never be fulfilled? When, o' Lord, when is the Messiah coming, cried the Jewish people. I have felt this way, too. Maybe even right now. How long Lord must I wait for you to act? Show me how to serve you.
The sermon was about listening for God's inner voice, to move us into service or to be part of someone else's miracle. To make ourselves open to that inner nudge that says talk a neighbor. Make that call or be in prayer for this one. A well placed hug can change someone's whole day.
It's important that we follow God and not just include Him. Or as my son Todd expressed, Jesus does not make a good sidekick. That means Jesus is not someone we ask to bless our plans but He makes the plans. We need to be ready, to listen, and to act.
I remember a time when I attended a conference put on by my church's denomination. It was held at a ski lodge in Montana. So beautiful. Placed high up on a huge mountain with running streams and pines trees. I came from the deserts of Arizona so this seemed like a magical place. My room mate and I stayed in a small hostile type room, a short walk from the lodge.
After a week of workshops and meetings, the last day came. I'd been privileged to be a part of seeing God work in so many ways that week. But on this last day I wanted to share a meaningful song with my morning care group. I took up my little 70's tape recorder and got ready to hike over to the lodge.
Before I left I prayed. After seeing God work so much that week I said, "Dear Lord, if there is someone else you want me to speak to before I leave, allow that to happen. Even if it's not a person from the conference, but one who is just staying at the lodge."
When I arrived inside the hotel I realized I was very early for the morning meeting. So, I went to the fireside area and sat down on a cushy chair. Beside the me sat a huge, clear glass ash tray on the side table. And I mean it was the size of a hubcap. I tried to push it over so I could rest my arm on the table, but it was too heavy.
While I waited I wanted to make sure the recorder was cued to the right spot. I pressed the button but nothing happened. I jabbed and jabbed at it. After letting out a frustrated sigh I heard a voice. "Can I help you with that?"
Looking up, I saw that a college age young man was standing beside me, smoking his cigarette. I thanked him and gave him the recorder. He put out his light, and sat down. He inspected the recorder, then jiggled it this way and that. But as he worked we talked.
I explained why I was here, the church conference. This is when he told me he was an atheist. He believed we do not need anyone or anything. That if he could, he would just sit out in a field and just exist. I was able to tell him how much Jesus meant to me. We spent quite a while on this topic. I could see he liked to debate. At one point he said "What is so special about how Jesus died? A lot of people have suffered in death, even more that Jesus did."
"Yes," I said. "But Jesus had the weight of all the world's sin placed on Him. He was a holy being, now covered with sin, guilt, and shame." He paused and did seem to take this thought in. After awhile of this back and forth he gave me the recorder and said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to fix it. I need to get going now. Thanks for the talk." We smiled and he left.
I sat there thinking hard about our encounter. Then as if God spoke to me I thought, I should have said to him, if he ever does find himself needing help or comfort, to ask Jesus if He is real.
"Lord if you want me to say this, give me another chance." I got up and went to the hearth to sit down. A moment later the young man was back. He said, "What are you doing? Carrying the ash tray around with you?" As he tapped off his ashes, I looked down and the tray was now next to me. I shot a glance over to side table. The glass cigarette tray was gone.
How in the world did it get here? I'd just sat down! It was so heavy, surely I would have noticed someone lugging it over here.
I decided not to waste time. I told him about asking Jesus if He is real. "If perhaps in the middle of the night you are alone and desperate, ask for Jesus' help. Just in case He is real."
I reached up to shake his hand as I said it. As our hands touched his face went from nonchalant debater, to a vulnerable softness. I held on tight. With a new seriousness in his eyes, he promised that he would.
After he left I took up my recorder thinking how I would tell my group about this encounter. I poked at the start button as I thought. The recorder began to sing out the song, with no problem.
Hmm, the recorder wasn't broken after all. How about that?
Right now, I'm in the waiting time. Staring into the fire, depressed and tired of doing nothing but watch the sheep. It's hard to see others hustle around with purpose. But little did the shepherd in my sketch know the angels were right behind him, ready to send him into action to proclaim a king's birth to the world.
