ay be Monday but as Yogi Berra said it seems like it is deja vu all over again! Last Friday I received an email that had as its subject the word: Encouragement. The email had one sentence and this is what it said: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9) It was from a friend I had not heard from in perhaps two years. It came seemingly out of the blue but it was very interesting because of the person who sent it to me. If you read my blog last Thursday, you will recall I talked about a lady from Canada who had attended our mid-week Bible study and prayer service. In that blog I talked about her deciding to find a fellowship to attend and then taking action intentionally to show up at our meeting.Well, as I was talking to the class last Wednesday evening I told them it 
reminded me of a fellow who had done the same thing several years ago. Brother Carlos had been transferred by his company from Spain to the United States to help manage the integration of a large firm they had purchased in our area. Brother Carlos flew in from Spain on a Wednesday, arriving mid-day, obtained a rental car and then commuted out to a furnished apartment near the area where we live. He and a comrade got themselves situated, found a Walmart to purchase some needed items, and then Brother Carlos began looking for a Church nearby because he wanted to go Wednesday evening. He did show up that Wednesday evening and it was my pleasure to welcome him into our time of study and prayer. He also dragged his buddy along with him who really did not want to come.
reminded me of a fellow who had done the same thing several years ago. Brother Carlos had been transferred by his company from Spain to the United States to help manage the integration of a large firm they had purchased in our area. Brother Carlos flew in from Spain on a Wednesday, arriving mid-day, obtained a rental car and then commuted out to a furnished apartment near the area where we live. He and a comrade got themselves situated, found a Walmart to purchase some needed items, and then Brother Carlos began looking for a Church nearby because he wanted to go Wednesday evening. He did show up that Wednesday evening and it was my pleasure to welcome him into our time of study and prayer. He also dragged his buddy along with him who really did not want to come.Over t
he next several months I became better acquainted with Brother Carlos and found him to be a man of intense belief, faithfulness, and with a commitment to the cause of Christ. He attended with us for those months until his family arrived from Spain. They fellowship with Plymouth Brethren Churches and I helped locate one for them in the area where they were buying a house. He had a wonderful testimony and I hated to see them move on but once I heard about the customs they observed within their type of practice, I knew we were not going to be able to offer the same. I'll never forget a question he asked me 
one time that haunted me then and continues to do so even until this day. He asked, "But when does your fellowship pray?" I told him we pray at every service. He went on, "No, I mean when do you gather and pray for hours?" I told him we didn't. I later learned that the Plymouth Brethren do have prayer services that go on for two hours or more. They also have services that may exceed six hours on Sunday. Therefore, I was very happy they were able to locate a fellowship that was more like they had in Spain.
he next several months I became better acquainted with Brother Carlos and found him to be a man of intense belief, faithfulness, and with a commitment to the cause of Christ. He attended with us for those months until his family arrived from Spain. They fellowship with Plymouth Brethren Churches and I helped locate one for them in the area where they were buying a house. He had a wonderful testimony and I hated to see them move on but once I heard about the customs they observed within their type of practice, I knew we were not going to be able to offer the same. I'll never forget a question he asked me 
one time that haunted me then and continues to do so even until this day. He asked, "But when does your fellowship pray?" I told him we pray at every service. He went on, "No, I mean when do you gather and pray for hours?" I told him we didn't. I later learned that the Plymouth Brethren do have prayer services that go on for two hours or more. They also have services that may exceed six hours on Sunday. Therefore, I was very happy they were able to locate a fellowship that was more like they had in Spain.I to
ld that story last Wednesday evening and out of the blue on Friday morning, as if Brother Carlos heard me talking about him, he sends out a word of encouragement. No greetings, just a verse to encourage. I sent him back an email and we corresponded about the fond memories we have of our time together. In telling this story over the weekend, it finally dawned on me. It wasn't the unusual deja vu sudden reconnection to Brother Carlos. Talk about being a slow learner! Could it be that God had something to say to me in the verse that Brother Carlos sent? That's what I will be focusing on as I continue to be thankful for how God works to build us up as we exercise the faith we have by encouraging othe
rs. I don't know about you but when you mention someone you haven't seen or heard from for a couple of years and then two days later you get an email from them, it might just be time to stop and think about that verse. So here it is, one more time: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9) Have a great week. Amen. ....More later.
ld that story last Wednesday evening and out of the blue on Friday morning, as if Brother Carlos heard me talking about him, he sends out a word of encouragement. No greetings, just a verse to encourage. I sent him back an email and we corresponded about the fond memories we have of our time together. In telling this story over the weekend, it finally dawned on me. It wasn't the unusual deja vu sudden reconnection to Brother Carlos. Talk about being a slow learner! Could it be that God had something to say to me in the verse that Brother Carlos sent? That's what I will be focusing on as I continue to be thankful for how God works to build us up as we exercise the faith we have by encouraging othe
rs. I don't know about you but when you mention someone you haven't seen or heard from for a couple of years and then two days later you get an email from them, it might just be time to stop and think about that verse. So here it is, one more time: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9) Have a great week. Amen. ....More later.
No comments:
Post a Comment