A WORD FOR TODAY, July 5, 2013 “Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away: but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ. But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, ASV The story was about a cab driver and the rider who impacted his life the most. He picked up a well-dressed man on York Avenue in New York. He had to hold up traffic at a green light to do so, but he was anxious for the fare because it had been a slow day. As it turned out, it was the best thing he could have done. The man was a customer who liked to make conversation during the ride, and the cabby discovered he was a doctor. The cabby’s son, a fifteen year old, wanted to do something more fulfilling with his summer than another trip to camp, so was looking for a job or someplace to volunteer. The problem? Most people didn’t want to hire a fifteen year old. The cabby, taking the opportunity to engage this chatty customer asked if he knew about any opportunities for his son. The boy was a great student and very responsible. The man gave the cabby his information and told him to have the boy send his school record. The cabby was excited when he went home that evening. Everyone thought he was joking, but after some convincing the boy sent his grades to the doctor. Two weeks later, the boy received a letter from the doctor with an opportunity to volunteer at the hospital, assisting the doctor. After a few weeks, the boy was paid for his work. He went back the following summer to work again and given more responsibility. Even after he graduated from high school and went to college, the boy spent his summers working at the hospital. He became very interested in medicine and went on to medical school. All along the way, the doctor provided the boy with letters of recommendation to help him get into his choice schools. Eventually the boy became a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology, and was very successful in his career. The other children also became highly successful in their chosen careers. In the story the cabby writes, “Some might call it fate, and I guess it was. But it shows you that big opportunities can come out of ordinary encounters—even something as ordinary as a taxi ride.” He credits the doctor with the success of all his children and will never forget him. I think this is a terrific story, but I also think there’s another lesson found in it. The writer tells us that we can experience extraordinary things in ordinary circumstances, but would it have ever happened if the cabby had not been bold enough to ask the favor of the doctor? I wonder how many others the cabby asked before (and after) meeting that doctor? Did he ask the same question of the businessmen he picked up on Wall Street or the retail managers on Madison Avenue? Did he ask anyone from the theater district on Broadway? He remembers the doctor who answered, “Yes,” but I suspect that the cabby took every opportunity to help his son find a job. Only one said “Yes,” but they only needed one. Would they have found the one if they didn’t have the boldness to ask? I think the man had guts, and I don’t think I could have been so bold. I’m certainly not nearly bold enough when it comes to sharing my faith and inviting people into the Kingdom of God. I do witness for Jesus, but too often I think I choose to be bold when I know the outcome will be positive. I don’t try when I think I’ll be rejected. If we tell a hundred people about Jesus only one might respond, but would we find that one if we never had the boldness to speak to the hundred? God calls us to be His witnesses, so let us be bold and speak His name to the world so that even one might join us in His Kingdom. We need not be afraid, for the words we speak are from God, and He will be with us in every opportunity.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 15:01:29 +0000