As a continuing part of our Easter season, we invite you to send in to the church office or let your pastors know any your “It is the Lord!” stories, big or small. Together, as God’s new people, this is one tangible way for us to practice pointing to Christ, God’s on-going provision and presence in our lives and world. Below you will find a story and a poem written by two different church members that point to God's presence in their lives.
One morning in Yale Rd Centre hospital, I found an empty chair in its narrow hallway, crowded with other sad people sitting on their walkers. With Gerry in his wheelchair close to me, I opened the TODAY devotional to read it together. For that day in Spring of 2016, it was called “The one in the middle”, and it was of Jesus' conversation on the cross with the two thieves.
The hallway was bustling with medical people, and was noisy, but there was no quiet place for everyone. I was reading the lesson quite slowly because it was thoughtful and moving to both of us. I stopped reading a few times in all the hub-ub, to see if Gerry was able to hear me, and yes, he was intently listening. When my reading was finished, I became aware that a woman patient had sat next to me, on another empty chair and I noticed that the woman was crying softly. I handed her a Kleenex and remembered her name was Norah.
I turned to ask, “Were you listening to this story as I was reading?” She nodded yes. “Do you know this story of the two thieves and Jesus?” She nodded again. “Do you know Jesus? do you know the reason why he died?" We spoke for awhile about 'that One in the middle', and about one thief who asked Jesus to save him in his dying moment, where Jesus was quick to save him, hanging right there, on his own cross.
She was eagerly listening as I told her of God's plan to save us in this way, to take a perfect man to die instead of me and her, while we are in our sin, and with His great love he will forgive. "He knows your name too, Norah.” She didn’t know that Jesus could be personal to anyone. I could tell her of God in the words of Psalm 139. After some moments, she wanted me to pray with her so with Gerry beside me we heard her say she wanted Jesus to be her Saviour. Less than an hour later we saw her at her dining room table, looking over at us, smiling a long time.
We know God prepares good works for us to do, so that day we thanked God for using us for His honour. It was the Lord who brought this lady to our noisy corner with one empty seat beside us, to hear the gospel of the precious One in the middle.
- Submitted by Sophie Ensing
and He will do it, in His time!
- written by a church member