Little Place
"Father, where shall I work today?"
And my love flowed warm and free.
He pointed out a tiny spot and said,
"Tend that place for me."
I answered him quickly,
"Oh, no! Not that!
Why no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done;
not that little place for me!"
The word he spoke, then, wasn't stern.
He answered me tenderly;
"Nazareth was a little place.
And so was Galilee."
-- Anonymous
And my love flowed warm and free.
He pointed out a tiny spot and said,
"Tend that place for me."
I answered him quickly,
"Oh, no! Not that!
Why no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done;
not that little place for me!"
The word he spoke, then, wasn't stern.
He answered me tenderly;
"Nazareth was a little place.
And so was Galilee."
-- Anonymous
Mark, I wish I would have had this on Sunday. I was preaching from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. It's so easy to look at the "big, spectacular" ministries and say wouldn't it be great to be like them. But God has called us to places like Hayward and Martinsville, because people need Christ here too. Our task in Martinsville is no different from the task at Willow Creek, Saddleback, Central Wesleyan or Hayward Wesleyan for that matter. It is as we looked at yesterday...to reconcile people back to God. Thanks for continuing to encourage the small-town/city, rural, small-church pastor. We need that encouragement that God has called us to reach people for Christ because people need Christ everywhere, even in the country and small towns.
ReplyDeleteLet me add this and this is why I appreciate you; a spectacular ministry does not appear to be the goal of Hayward Wesleyan, but reaching people for Christ who don't know Him is. God has been changing my heart here. He is more interested in a sincere heart that follows after Him and brings others along on the journey (reconciliation), than the most spectacular ministry you could imagine. Keep up the excellent work.
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