YOU NEVER KNOW
This was Don's first visit to Deer Island in many, many years. I'm sure Don enjoyed the beautiful scenery as they ferried their way past the rugged islands that populate that part of the Bay of Fundy. And, while much has changed since Don had last been to Deer Island, I bet there was much more that was familiar to him than was different. There is something timeless about the majestic coastline and rushing tides in that part of the world. Once it is a part of you, you don't soon forget it. (Gee, can you tell that I recently moved from there? I guess I'm missing it a bit these days.)
Don used to be a minister on Deer Island just after graduating from Bible College back in the 1960's. He and his wife, Sharon, were on their way to Prince Edward Island so that they could attend his parent's sixty-fifth wedding anniversary and they decided to drop in and get reacquainted with old friends. On the Sunday night they were there, they attended the evening service at the Lord's Cove Church of Christ and Don got into a nice little chat with Geoff Clarke, the current preacher there.
During that bit of back and forth, Geoff thanked Don for making it possible for him to be in the ministry. Interestingly, Don had never met, talked, e-mailed, corresponded, sent smoke signals to, or communicated with, Geoff in any way, shape, or form. This was indeed their first meeting. To Don, Geoff was a total stranger. Actually, at this point in their conversation, I'm sure Don thought Geoff was more strange than a stranger! How could Don be responsible for Geoff being in the ministry if Don had never known of, nor met Geoff before?
Well, despite the fact that Geoff is quite strange (after all he is my friend), Geoff was absolutely correct about his ministerial assertions. In a way, Don was very much responsible for Geoff being in the ministry. OK, so have I lost everyone now? Are you too confused to care? For those fearless readers who have the tenacity to see this thing through to the end, let me explain.
Way back in 1983, I was living in Toronto. In the summer of 1983, I was baptized in the Credit River and thus became one of them born again Christian types. That fall, I was working as a security guard on either the night shift, or the afternoon shift, and so I had my days free. At the time, I had a couple of friends who were going to Ontario Christian Seminary and I thought, "Gee, I would love to take a course or two just to learn as much as I could about my new found faith." I wasn't sure if I could really handle university level classes, since I had left High School some seven years before this, but I thought I would at least drop into the school and feel things out.
That's where I first met Don. He was there on that first visit to the school. I was very nervous and extremely shy and Don miraculously made me feel comfortable-even though he was the President of the school. He was so patient and kind with me that I signed up for a couple of courses that very day. Now, at the time, I never dreamed that a few courses would lead to full-time studies and then the call to go into the pastoral ministry, but God has a way of not filling in all the details before you sign up to follow Him-good thing too! All through my school years, Don was a great teacher, mentor and all around cheerleader for me. In fact, when I graduated in 1989, it was Don's recommendation that really helped pave the way for me to embark upon my first ministry in Prince Edward Island. And, it was in Prince Edward Island that I first met Geoff. Are the lights starting to go on now?
Geoff and I became close friends and one thing led to another and God used me to help encourage Geoff in his Christian walk and get him back into Bible college. A few years later, Geoff was in full-time ministry as well. So, to Geoff's way of thinking, if Don hadn't been my encourager and mentor all those years ago in Toronto, and if he hadn't been such a key part of my moving to Prince Edward Island in 1989, I wouldn't have been around to mentor him. Very true, don't you think?
Did Don purposely set me up to be a mentor to Geoff? No, but by sharing, caring, and teaching, he was used by God to affect my life. So, now, any life that God helps me affect is also a life affected by Don.
It's kind of humbling when you think about it. If we are living for Christ, we are part of God's plan. We don't necessarily have to realize what that plan is, or see the big picture. All we have to do is be humble and helpful with the little part of the plan He entrusts to us. It's like we are all one brushstroke on God's colorful canvass. Each one of us finds our own place in the picture, rubbing up against, covering, and melding into God's other brushstrokes. God does the arranging, all we have to do is remain where He puts us and touch those lives He brings our way.
Don certainly didn't know that his touch on my life would enable me to touch Geoff's life, but God did! While I was starting school in Toronto, God was already putting into motion the things necessary to make sure that Geoff and I would connect in Prince Edward Island six years after that. Maybe Geoff will one day be the next Billy Graham. Maybe he will be the mentor to the next Billy Graham. Regardless, I know that I will be touching the lives of people I have never met because Geoff is touching them. It's kind of mind boggling when you think about it. Who knows how God will use our efforts-that's the wonder of serving Him! We never know how powerful He makes our simple acts of obedience.
How many people has your life touched? That's not an easy question to answer, but if you are doing your best to share, encourage, care and love those who God's brings your way-it's far more than you think, and, most likely, far more than you'll ever know!
If you have any thoughts or comments about this piece, or if you just want to talk, click on my name at the bottom of this page and I promise to write back.
