“SOME SOW AND SOME REAP”
( *Names are changed to protect the privacy of others.)
“I planted, Apollas watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (I Corinthians 3:6-7)
We arrived at this beautiful native resort called “Beehive”,overlooking one of the gorgeous Bohol Beach Coastlines of the Philippines, where the conference that Jim would be speaking at was being held. As I awoke the next morning I remembered that our room had a balcony. It overlooked the clear water before us with its blue and green colors.
The sea sat still, resembling as a picture of my feelings of peace and quietness before the Lord. So many good memories of our days in the Philippines rumbled my brain in thankfulness to God. This moment allowed us the opportunity to come back here again after so many years. We had lived on this same island for thirteen years.
Later that day we soaked up the moment and memories thanking the Lord. Some delicious mixed fresh fruit, like sweet mangoes, papayas, bananas and others greeted us for our breakfast. Nothing like fresh tropical fruit!
Then we proceeded to our first meeting session. As we walked in, Melinda*, my aerobic exercise coach from 17 years earlier, stood leading in worship along with a whole worship team.
When we lived and served on this island, I had joined Melinda’s* exercise class with one other friend whom had just become a follower of Christ at that time. We decided to take this class so that the two of us could work not only on our health, have time together as friends to grow in God but also so I could teach my friend Sharon* how to share her new found faith. I love making friends and connecting them with others but especially introducing them to my best friend Jesus Christ.
During our year with Melinda*, our team also used her place for a children’s ballet recital. Our kids along with neighborhood children had a ballet class at her place. The last day of the class, we invited the parents and friends to come to see an “end of the year” performance. We wanted our own kids to have as normal a life away from the States as possible, since this was our home now. We didn’t want them to feel like they were missing out on anything if we ever went back to the US for any reason. We wanted to use anything we could to build relationships with the community too. We were thankful for Melinda* to let us use her place to host this event.
Melinda* and her husband had not met Jesus personally when we left some 17 years ago. We had grown a great friendship relationship with them. We went out to eat, went to movies, invited them to Bible Study party events etc. We would often have great conversations centered on spiritual things but they weren’t ready to enter a Bible Study group themselves before we left.
As we were leaving the Philippines to come back to the States for good, after 13 years, we introduced them to our other co-workers to continue the friendship. Eventually they did join a Bible Study and soon became followers of Jesus. Today she stood up leading in Worship. Wow! A flood of memories came rushing back from our days on Bohol.
The minute I saw Melinda*, my heart leaped with Joy. I didn’t know she had become a follower of Jesus, through our c0-worker’s Bible Studies so to see her up front leading us in songs to Jesus it brought tears of joy to my heart in praise to the Lord. To hold my tears back I immediately went to the rear of the room to be with Jim. The Lord said, in my mind, you should just go over there and share it with her.
As I approached her after the worship time was over, I hugged her and expressed my delight to the Lord and the reasons for my tears. She hugged back and we wept together. It was a God moment indeed, in celebration to Him for what He had done in the lives of two people, hers and mine, many years ago until now.
After a few moments of this she looked at me and said, “It was you Sterling that planted the 1st seeds of Christ in my heart when you asked me a question at exercise class, do you remember?”
No!” “What?
You said, Do you realize the words of your music you play each day in class? Or Do you pick the music for the beat?
At that moment I remembered asking her that question but forgot the rest of the story. However, not for long because she proceeded to tell me what happened next. In asking her this question my hope was to find out where her heart was for spiritual things and then have a point of entry later for a conversation that might lead to things of God.
She said:
Sterling, after you asked me that question, I went home, listened and realized all was on sex and lust. It got me to thinking about my life and God. It was soon after that I joined the Bible Study and came to know Jesus as my personal Savior.
We both gave glory to God….
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We often don’t see the Lord’s Fruit from our service to Him. Some plant, some water, but God gets the glory. God was kind enough for us to see the fruit and He got the glory!
The apostle John says,
that there isn’t any greater joy than to see my children growing. (I John)
I can relate to the apostle John again on that day after seeing Melinda*. There are many Sterling’s, Co-Workers and Melinda’s out there, some plant, some water but God gets the glory. So don’t lose heart! God doesn’t miss a beat and uses all. Loving, being present in listening to people, and asking good questions to draw out what is in people’s hearts, the Holy Spirit can use even when we don’t know it. Keep looking to Him as your author and finisher of your faith, as you go toward people and serve others well. May you point them to your best friend Jesus.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: What thoughts stirr within you as you read this story? Can you expound them? How are you connecting to people to make the place you are serving home and share Jesus? How are you walking alongside of others? Please share any comments.
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)