Monday, May 19, 2008

Food for Thought

The purpose of living is not to learn to make prayer; but to become prayer; to live in and for God according to the divine call, wholly surrended to the Spirit's activity in the soul for the glory of God.

Fr Gilbert Shaw

Every morning I thank God for the day, for my life and pray that he would use my life this day according to his will. On the surface it seems like a very simple prayer, easily said. But at the deeper levels it is fraught with peril. One never knows exactly how God will demonstrate his will through the Spirit's activity.

Yesterday I learned again how one's life becomes prayer. Having purchased tickets, a week ago, to a fundraiser, yesterday, for the local Christian school we drove to the appointed restaurant. It was good to see the crowds in obvious support of their families and Christian education. All monies were going to go towards sending the students on a missions project. We waited for our turn to be seated.

In the midst of parents surrounded by their offspring stood a lone, quiet man--no one was engaging him. Our name was called and we were asked if we would be willing to sit with a "single." Coming forward as the "single", this lone man led the way to our table. Eddie would be our lunch companion for the next 45 minutes.

Introductions were made and with a smile it was apparent that Eddie had lived a life quiet different from our own. Crystal meth had destroyed his teeth deeply affecting his countenance and his speech, conversation was a challenge. But, Eddie loved Jesus. In fact, with great pride he told about his role as the first thief in the passion play at his church. Having gone to a country church as a little boy, he had recently felt the touch of God's redemption.

As we ate our hamburgers I became keenly aware of my inadequacy to relate to Eddie. Our lives were a study in opposites with three exceptions, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In the embrace of the Trinity we were exactly the same--redeemed.

Finishing lunch and saying our good-byes I watched as Eddie once again stood alone surrounded by the crowd. We had prayed together at lunch, but more significantly I hoped that our lives had been a prayer for Eddie. We hadn't asked to be seated with him, but God had intervened and having surreneded to the Spirit's activity we were blessed to live in and for God according to the divine call.

We would have been the "losers" if we hadn't had a meal with Eddie.

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