“Is that bad, Uncle?”
“Aye, in some ways. It’s like a ride in a lift . . . an elevator. Ye go up so fast, ye feel ye’ve left your stomach behind. We may move so fast that we leave behind somethin’ we need and value, and then we won’t have much reason to get to where we’re goin’.”
“Do you think it’s inevitable, that we won’t be able to help ourselves?”
“No, my boy. Earthly time alone needn’t mark the movements in your life. Ye should also give thought to where ye are in God’s time. No matter how fast life may seem to move ye along laddie, God remains the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”
Both men sat silent for a few minutes. Each man used the silence to reflect on those ancient words.
“I guess I don’t understand what you mean by ‘God’s time,’ Uncle. In a way I do, but . . .”
“Richard, I believe the Bible teaches that God expects His children, day by day, to grow in spirit, as they develop physically. But, if Christians focus only on material things—how many pounds, dollars, or honors they’ve gained or lost—their spirits won’t develop, and God’s timetable for them will be disrupted. Then, God may put somethin’ in their way to slow them doon, so they can see what’s important in life.”
“Oh yes, I see.” Richard nodded to encourage him to continue.
“The Scriptures are plain: ‘When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.’ When we’re in God’s time, laddie, we see and hear what He tells us, and, in His time, we come to understand who we are, spiritually, and how we’re to use our gifts in His divine plan. ‘For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.’ Sometimes, God uses our experience to shine a light in the mirror. Then we see more clearly what He would have us know.”
Often in the days to come, Richard would contemplate the verses from I Corinthians that his uncle had quoted.
5
Facing New Challenges
Richard was not a morning person. Except when college classes had required it, he seldom rose before nine. But this morning, crows in the backyard sounded their alarm at the break of day.
Unable to get back to sleep, Richard stared at a brown water stain on the ceiling, picking out the shape of a seagull in flight, as he’d done numerous times since childhood.
Climbing out of bed, he muttered, “Rotten crows!”
He showered, dressed, and went quietly downstairs. Not wishing to wake his uncle, he fixed himself a simple breakfast of coffee, toast, and orange juice.
Guess I’ll take a walk. Burn all those calories from that huge breakfast.
Richard slipped on a light jacket against the cool morning air. He closed the front door softly and headed toward town.
Deep in thought, he hadn’t realized that he had walked all the way downtown until he suddenly noticed the sidewalks filling with people who, unlike himself, had particular destinations in mind. They rushed to stores just opening or to reach jobsites on time.
“Excuse me!” said a woman after she bumped into Richard in an effort to get around him. The young man’s slow pace made him an obstruction.
Since I’m just a block from church, I’ll say hello to Cal Jessup and get out of everyone else’s way. He picked up his pace.
When Richard appeared at the open door to Cal’s office, the youth pastor said. “Do you know I was thinking about you this very minute?”
“Oh? I hope it was something good.”
“It was! See!” Cal pointed. “My desk calendar says, ‘Call Richard Hawkins’ and here you are!”
“Rich, in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve taken every opportunity to serve our church. I wouldn’t say this to all our members, but you don’t just talk the talk, you walk the walk.”
Richard wondered where this was leading.
“I’m leaving for Columbus, Ohio soon. I’ll be speaking at a church there. Responsibility for our youth group needs to be entrusted to someone who’s reliable. Someone who’ll lift up Scriptural truth. But I need a person who can relate to youth! I need someone the kids will look up to.”
“Yea, that’s the kind of person you need alright. What about Charlie Evans?”
“If I wanted someone who could take the youth group ice skating, Charlie would be fine. But fun isn’t my objective.”
“I can’t think of anybody else right now.”
“How about you, Rich? You’re the one I had in mind.”
“Me? Leading a group isn’t my thing. I’d like to help, but . . .”
“I need someone who has a dynamic witness, who regularly spends time in God’s Word as I know you do.”
“I don’t know, Cal. How would I know what to do? I would sure need to pray about this, and talk to my uncle.”
“Yes, you should pray about it. And speak to your uncle. I’ve put some notes and other materials in this file folder. Look these over and let me know your decision tomorrow morning. If you decide it’s a go, we’ll meet for lunch and talk. I’ll be leaving for Columbus exactly one week from today. Uh, that would be June 21st. Should give you time to prepare for the group’s meeting. You would also have to make yourself available in case any of the kids need to talk with you about a problem. If a problem turns out too heavy,” Cal emphasized, noticing Richard’s look of concern, “that person could talk to one of the other pastors, or to me when I get back.”
“I’ll think about it and let you know.”
“Hey, my barber told me this joke the other day, but stop me if you’ve heard it.”
“Even if I have, I won’t mind hearing it again. A good joke deserves an encore.”
“A father drove his six-year-old daughter to school every morning on his way to work. One day he had to be out of town, so her mother took her. When they arrived, the little girl looked puzzled. She said, ‘We didn’t see any idiots the way we do when daddy takes me to school.’”
Cal laughed. “I hadn’t heard that one. I just might be able to use it in a sermon I have to give next week.”
“You know, Rich, I’ve known you for years. This is the first time I’ve ever heard you tell a joke. Come to think of it, I’ve not heard you laugh very often.”
“No, I guess not.”
“In my devotions recently, I read the Scripture: ‘Let us be glad and rejoice in every day that God has made.’ That isn’t the exact quotation, but you get the idea.”
“Close enough. Psalm 118:24 has encouraging words for all of us.
