Monday, March 18, 2013

March 18 – “Just happened”


We had a pretty full house at church yesterday.  About twenty of them were college students from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.  They are spending their Spring Break here in Galveston doing different ministry activities around town, and they are staying in our Retreat Center. 

They helped out in worship as well.  Three of them led us with some praise songs, and four others shared testimonies of crisis events in their lives such as the divorce of his parents, a close friend who died, a friend who turned her back, and an attempted suicide.  They then shared how they responded to the event emotionally and how God invaded their situation and brought them through it.  They all did a great job, both in sharing the heart-wrenching stories and in doing it in front of a lot of people. 

The testimonies fit the teaching really well.  It was on how John the Baptist pointed people to Jesus – how he testified.  God draws people to Himself, and as they walk down their path toward him, they are often led to bump into Christians along the way.  Those Christians must be ready to point them on their way to the next milestone of their journey to God.  That may mean giving them some encouragement that they are on the right track.  It may mean referring them to a particular scripture or to another person who can more adequately communicate with them.  Or it may even mean sharing with them how to become a believer.  Remembering that we are just cooperating with an already-begun work of the Holy Spirit takes all the pressure off of us.  We are, after all, just pointers … like John the Baptist. 

Oh, and that’s what the kids’ sermon was about.  I introduced them (through powerpoint pictures) to the six dogs we have had over the years: Gideon, Becca, Taffy, Mitzi, Heidi and Fritz.  Then I went through pictures of different breeds of dogs to see if they could guess what they were.  Interestingly enough, everyone knew right away what the breed was of the pointer.  That made transitioning easy to the idea of us being pointers to Jesus for our family and friends. 

Third Sunday dinner on the grounds after church was a feast as usual.  In fact, even with the twenty extra students, there was plenty of food left over.  I shared my lunch time with the girlfriend of a guy who has been in our home several times, both after Hurricane Ike and for a fishing trip of sorts.  Across the table from us was a local couple visiting for the first time who “just happened” to come to Seaside for the first time and were amazed to see that students from UMHB “just happened” to be everywhere.  Seems they and their children were graduates of the school, and the director of the group had even been to their daughter’s wedding.  Old home week for them.  They made a point to give me a phone number so we could let them know about future events.  I think they’ll be back.  “Just happened”?  I don’t think so.

Psalms 71:19 says, “Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things.  Who, O God, is like you?”

Father, thank you for the impact these students will have this week as they minister for you.  If you have someone you are drawing your way, I know where there are some good folk they can bump into.  Amen.

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