Dear One,
Sometimes my connections are untimely: as I am seated in O’Hare’s Terminal C, soon to board a flight to Brussels and then to Lira, Uganda, I thought I’d share with you the encouragement I received from Lidia, a newly married, bio-engineering student, who is actively involved in Betel Church, Giurgiu, Romania. (Doesn’t everyone en route to Uganda think in terms of Romania?) At any rate, Lidia wrote:
“I was talking to Bogdan and we just wanted to thank you for what you did in Romania. We do not know if you meant to change lives but for sure you changed ours, or at least our perspectives on how to see the details in the Scriptures. May God bless you in everything you do!”
Of course Lidia’s words greatly encouraged me; however, as I thought of her encouragement, I knew immediately that whatever she and Bogdan gleaned through me was fully dependent upon the relational connections many others have made. If you will, I knew and know that I am simply one connector in a vast, intricate series of connections well beyond my comprehension. I am truly grateful that Lidia and Bogdan benefited from our shared moments.
Likewise, as was true when we boarded our flight from Indy to Amsterdam and then to Bucharest, so too my present hope: using The Sent One as our entrée into John’s Gospel, may I/we be of great encouragement to 50-60 pastors in Uganda. But if such encouragement occurs, it will be the result of many previous, timely connections, of which Paul was fully cognizant when he wrote to the Corinthians:
“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1Corinthians 3:5-8)
By his words, Paul sought to quell petty rivalries and jealousies within the Corinthian church. They had yet to understand that they, like Paul, were the recipients of grace: what they perceived to be “theirs” were really gifts given to them through a vast series of connections—and ultimately by God. Thus even for Paul and Apollos: From whence Paul’s seeds and Apollos’ water, if not gifts from God? Truly, we are gifted: all we have are givens.
In my returning to Uganda, I am gifted: your encouragement encourages me to encourage Ugandan pastors. May I give freely and easily for their benefit.
Hopefully,
Stan