Make me a vessel. One of my very favorite songs, by Chris Sligh, a several-years-back American Idol finalist. I had the pleasure of hearing him perform this at church with Megan Miller Sturgill. Hard to beat the words, meaning and music in this one. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus. Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2nd Corinthians 1:3-5. Sometimes we can be unlikely vessels for Gods grace. Lynne Deming from Tennessee was sitting in a coffee shop waiting on a friend. She was wearing a baseball cap to disguise the fact that chemotherapy had caused her to lose most of her hair. A young man approached her and asked, Are you in treatment? When she acknowledged that she was, he admitted, So is my mom. They had a brief conversation in which she revealed her story to him. At the end of their visit, he said, I hope it goes well for you. Since that time, Lynne approaches each person she sees who is obviously a cancer patient, and offers them opportunity to tell their story of diagnosis and treatment. Their stories are gifts of grace for Lynne. She then offers them a prayer, either silently or aloud for each courageous person. That young man was an unlikely vessel of Gods grace. Lynne hopes that she too can be such a vessel for others. We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2nd Corinthians 4:7. God uses each trial and tribulation to draw closer to us and our willingness to share can be a powerful healing salve for those we encounter. Today I will be ready to show Gods grace to those whom God sends my way. Loving God, thank you for those persons who are unlikely vessels of your grace. Help us to be such a vessel for others. Amen. Prayer focus: those undergoing chemotherapy.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 11:51:43 +0000