ON ASSIGNMENT BY GOD
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; (I Corintians 1:27)
INTRODUCTION
About the time I started to feel the heat of the lions den, in walks Debbie! Here was someone who was considered a nobody in the eyes of most people around her. Never meeting Debbie before that day I would have thought the Red Sea had just parted. I felt “The Spirit of God was with her”. Debbie’s presence transformed the atmosphere in the room and my grandmother’s attitude. Wow. Who is this woman?
Afterwards Debbie told me “Well, the first day after I came home from being with your grandmother, I told my husband I wasn’t going back to work for that woman. He asked me a few questions and after hearing my reasons said, “okay, but have you prayed about it first?” That was all he had to say. I was convicted as I told him I hadn’t.”
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MY GRANDMOTHER, MAMAMA & DEBBIE….
During the Great Depression, my grandparents worked hard and through much difficulties and uncharted choices made it rich by most standards. This hard earned wealth created a perception that her family had this unspoken standard to measure up to. When my dad didn’t always live up to it, it wasn’t pleasant around my family. Often their attitudes were imputed onto us kids, too. I never felt totally accepted by my grandparents, but in some strange way I respected them and knew they loved us even if it wasn’t always demonstrated in ways I would have preferred or understood.
I am thankful for my grandparents (Nananer (Na-na-ner) and Mamama (Ma-ma-ma) for many good memories, During my elementary years we would often spend, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with them. During Easter time, they also invited us to their beach house.
My Grandfather built a tree house in the woods for us to enjoy. I loved exploring and climbing around their home. I believe God used them, to also plant a seed, of my love now, for tennis. But at the time I didn’t want anything to do with it
Even with a disfunctional family I knew I was part of something bigger than just my immediate family. With my grandparents, parents and siblings, I felt a sense of belonging, family, hospitality, and community. But I wouldn’t understand it all till years later.
After Nananer died due to kidney failure, my grandmother missed him, of course, but as she aged she became “harder” on the inside. She had much to contend with and lived with a lot of loneliness even though she knew many people. Mamama felt like she still had a reputation to live up to.
This world Mamama created did not easily permit me to feel accepted for who I was. I didn’t dress the way she thought I should. I became a follower of Jesus, went to a Christian college, married a Yankee and served overseas as a missionary. Each decision was contrary to her ideals or expectations for me.
One of the qualities Mamama had was her strong disposition. She didn’t back down for anyone! I think I inherited some of that tough hide. “Shhhhhh! No comments.”
After being overseas for many years, married and with kids, we came home from living in Asia on home ministry (furlough) for a year when I went to visit Mamama. Mamama was now up in years and we didn’t know how long she would live so this visit was very important. I picked up a gift for her like Jacob presented to Esau before he saw his estranged brother. Like, Jacob didn’t know how Esau would respond to him, I didn’t know what reaction I would get from my grandmother. I was apprehensive.
I also asked God to go before me like Moses had asked God.
“If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here”
As I arrived I met Debbie, this sweet African-American lady who was now one of the primary care-givers for my grandmother. She took me upstairs to see Mamama. My aunt was there, my father’s sister. I took my youngest daughter too, since she had never met her great grandmother. All seemed to be going well.
Until my aunt and Grandmother took the conversation in a direction I didn’t want to go. I wanted to honor my grandmother but the direction turned more difficult and critical. This was not something I wanted my daughter to hear.
About the time I started to feel the heat of the lions den, in walks Debbie! You would have thought the Red Sea had just parted. Never meeting Debbie before that day, I felt “The spirit of God was with Her”. I felt His presence when Debbie walked into the room. Amazing! Debbie’s presence transformed the atmosphere and my grandmother’s attitude. The rest of our visit was unusually pleasant. Wow! Who is this women?
I knew Mamama’s bent was prejudice toward blacks, which was common in the south in her day. But it was the 1990’s, yet in some ways she had not changed with the times. So I was surprised by the love Debbie was showering on my grandmother. And my grandmother was receiving it!
I found out later Debbie knows Jesus. He was making a difference through her life.
God can use what the world thinks as foolish to confound the wise.
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DEBBIE REMINDS ME ALSO OF RAHAB’S STORY
The Israelites in the book of Joshua were now waiting outside Jericho on the otherside of the Jorden where they were told by God to take possession of the land. This city had strong defenses.
In Numbers 13-14, we see the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for 40 years because the people disobeyed, listening instead to the 10 spies out of 12. The 10 giving the ‘majority report’ saw themselves as grasshoppers and the people in the Promise Land as giants. Now many years later, God’s people and Joshua are about to enter the Promise Land facing this big city. How will they view themselves? Did they learn the needed lessons?
Joshua was one of the origianal 12 spies, He did not see giants. How will Joshua, as the new leader, some 40 years later, lead the Israelites to trust God forward to destroy Jericho?
Joshua decided to send in 2 people not 12 to spy out the land before attacking it. He had learned a valuable lesson. The two spies met Rahab, a prostitute.
The 2 spies found out from Rahab, how God had gone before, creating fear in the hearts of the Canaanites. Rahab wanted to believe in their God.
She, too, was considered a nobody! Rahab demonstrated her faith by hiding these 2 spies from her own people. She helped them escape even in the evident danger of possible death.
[https://archive.org/details/rahab_the_harlot[/]( by Ky Baptist)
I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel like a nobody. “How can I help” I am just one person and what’s in front of me seems so daunting.
The Spirit of God had gone before Joshua and the people into Jericho even before the two spies arrived. They were guided to Rahab. She responded in faith. Can you think of a time where you felt the Spirit of God working?
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LIKE RAHAB, DEBBIE’S STORY CONTINUES….
I cannot remember the time table of life but not much later, maybe two years, we came back from living overseas when Mamama took her last breath.
I was not looking forward to going to the funeral. I was sad not knowing where Mamama would be spending eternity. She never wanted anything to do with followers of Jesus, and their Lord even though she was a faithful church goer.
Mamama felt Jesus was a crutch and thought she lived just fine. When she died her requests were only a graveside service and no flowers. No one was allowed to give any testimonies about her apart from her pastor. I so wanted to share some of my good memories but no opportunity was presented.
As Mamama’s Minister gave her Eulogy, I thought I was at the wrong graveside service. He didn’t really represent the grandmother I knew. Very impersonal and depressing!
I was feeling guilty too, all I could think of was hurtful things I felt she had imputed on me and others I loved. Of course I am praying and asking God to help me with a better attitude and some kind of hope that I could walk away with through the service. But I wasn’t finding anything!
As I was praying, however, I saw Debbie, the caregiver. I made a mental note I would connect with her after the service was over.
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“Debbie, Debbie, hi, I don’t know if you remember me but I am one of my grandmother’s, granddaughters, Sterling”?
“Yes, I remember you.”
“Do you know who was with my grandmother in her final moments and how she died? ”
“I and Gladis, (the maid) were with her.”
“Really, would you mind taking the time to tell me about it”?
“Sure” she said with a soft smile. As everyone left, Debbie took the next hour to share as we walked the graveside together.
“When I came to work for your grandmother, after one day I knew I did not want to work with that lady! When I was a little girl, my aunt worked for this old critical prejudice rich lady and after I saw what that lady did to my aunt I vowed as a little girl I will never wipe the “butt” of any white rich old woman with that kind of attitude, if life depends on it.“
“Well the first day after I came home from being with your grandmother, I told my husband I wasn’t going back. He asked me a few questions and after hearing my reasons said “okay but have you prayed about it first?” That was all he had to say. I was convicted as I told him I hadn’t. ”
“I then said I would let him know in the morning. I couldn’t sleep all night. The next morning when I woke up, I knew God had called me back to take care of your grandmother. I realized she needed Jesus and God wanted me there to tell her. I didn’t know how but I knew God wanted me to go there and show her first His love by loving her.”
“Over the months leading up to her death, I processed each person in the family with her. I started with each grandchild and then up to your dad and mom. With each person I pushed and pushed with questions until her straw man of what she had fixated about them could not be justified and she had to forgive them.”
“She would get so mad but when she got quiet I knew God had gotten through to her core. God gave me the courage because she could have fired me but didn’t. God was working in her heart.“
“The day she died, Gladis and I were bathing her when she was asking us to hurry. “
“Hurry, Hurry,” she kept yelling. We didn’t understand why the rush. But, she wanted us to dress her fast and have her ready.
I realized as we were finishing her up it wouldn’t be long before she would die, her feet were getting blue and it was going up her leg. It would soon hit her heart and she would be dead.
As the last piece of clothing was on her, she looked at me and asked very sincerely, “Debbie, will God accept me into Heaven?”
“I said Caroline, God has always accepted you, the question is will you accept him?”
“What must I do?” She said.
“You know what to do. We have talked about it before. You must ask him to forgive you and surrender yourself to him believing what He did for you on the cross. He died so you could have eternal life. He is your Lord and loves you very much!
She paused and then set up with strength I didn’t know she had and said,
“Okay Lord please forgive me!” As her arms went up in the air and then she laid back down.”
“As I looked into her eyes there was a glow on her face like I had never seen before. She was so calm and peaceful. When she turned and looked up at me and said,
“Debbie…. Thank you!” She smiled… and closed her eyes and died”.
All of a sudden Gladis and I felt a breeze in the room, even with all the doors and windows closed. With Gladis on one side of the bed and I on the other between your grandmother, we stood frozen staring at each other, tears streaming down both of our cheeks, on what felt like holy ground.
Later as we talked, we both confirmed the air felt was God’s spirit taking your grandmother up to heaven. “
Wow! I, too, sensed God’s presence and God’s delight in my spirit as she told the story of her time with my grandmother. This is the hope I came for.
After giving Debbie a great big hug, I looked at Debbie with tears in my eyes now, and said “Thank you for heeding God’s call in your life. For being there for my grandmother even when she wasn’t so nice to you. Thank you for taking time to share this forever loving memory etched in my heart.”
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“Thank you Lord for Debbie. For answering my prayers! For letting me hear this story Lord, in redeeming my grandmother’s life before she died.”
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Debbie, was weak before the world but mighty before God, like Rahab where God chose to put both on assignment for His Kingdom work. Debbie with my grandmother and Rahab for the 2 spies, the Israelites, and her family.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: What about this story either Rahab, Debbie or my grandmother resonated with your heart? What made both Debbie and Rahab step up to accept their tasks? How might history have been different without their courageous faith? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section …
From One Pilgrim to another together on the journey,
“Consider how you may spur one another on towards love and good deeds….. encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)