Purple ribbons glued onto our name
tags, plastic bracelets encircling our arms, bluejeans worn in the
workplace on weekends...all evidence of donations made to the
American Cancer Society in support of a coworker's wife who is
battling the disease. More fundraisers are planned, ideas that flowed
out of a think tank of sorts as fellow employees look for concrete
ways to help a friend in a time of great need.
It's the donations that are important
of course, money to fund the search for a cure. But the emblems that
indicate our participation serve a purpose, as well. A lot of us
don't have much contact with the coworker in question. As the store
manager, he is a man we see from a distance mostly, walking the
aisles with his cell phone frequently to his ear, his eyes scanning
the store he passes through while his mind concentrates on the voice
he hears. But he sees us, and we want him to wade
through a sea of purple support everywhere he goes, these images of
hope a reminder that he has a team of believers by his side. Trouble
is easier to bear when shared.
I look at the bracelet on my arm and
turn it around so the white lettering is facing me and read the
reminder: Kathy's Believers. If the purple color of the
plastic is to catch the manager's eye, this lettering is surely
supposed to catch mine and remind me of the third and most important
layer of support I can offer...my prayers.
There are many, I suppose, who are
acquainted with Kathy personally and believe in her personal
strength, courage, and ability to beat this disease. I know nothing
about the woman aside from her name. But I know God. And I believe in
a God who can heal...a God who can help...a God who can hold us when
our hearts are breaking...a God who let His own heart be broken that
He might offer us the hope of Heaven when we die. And because I
believe, I have the privilege of lifting her name up in
prayer, inviting God to intervene in her situation, trusting that
whatever the outcome He will work all things out to the good. I look
at the bracelet and am reminded that as one of Kathy's believers
I can speak to God on her behalf.
Yet there is more expected of us than
mere speech. Our actions profess our beliefs more than any words we
confess. And we want God to be encouraged as He moves among
us, that He might see His Spirit at work within those who call
themselves by His Name and witness the love, joy, peace, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness and self control that define Him. Prayer is
so much more than mere words spoken to God. It is a hug to a coworker
in tears, a nod of understanding and a listening ear to the most
difficult customer, a smile at all times. It is showing up on time
and obeying direction and giving one's all, all day long.
Make no mistake: God answers prayer
because He is good, not because we are. But as His believers
we have the privilege of moving His Hand and His heart by laying our
requests before Him. Love is simply the language spoken in the
Kingdom, and we have a responsibility to the “Kathys” around us
to become fluent in it, however foreign and difficult it sometimes
seems to be.
Now each time that rubber circle slips
over my hand I remember that Jesus took a nail through His
so that we might have the
right to speak to God on others' behalf. May it be our actions rather
than our armbands that attract His attention, and the love we
walk in rather than words on a wristband that determine the true
believers among us.
“Love is patient,
love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...”
(1 Corinthians 13:4-8
NIV)
Elaine, I love this line, "May it be our actions rather than our armbands that attract His attention, and the love we walk in rather than words on a wristband that determine the true believers among us." It's easy to follow the crowd and wear the wristband, far harder to pray and believe. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDelete"Love is simply the language spoken in the Kingdom..." Love that line! I think we often forget just how powerful love can be -- just how far simple displays of support and affection can go toward healing those around us. (As well as how our actions and lives should be a complement to our prayer.)
ReplyDeleteAnother great post! I never expect anything less than excellent writing from you, Elaine. It's always a joy to read. :)