"FROM THE OLD HOME PLACE "

“I went to the animal fair; The birds and the bees were there...” As a child, I used to hear (and sing) these lines with great relish, trying all the time to picture in my mind “the big baboon by the light of the moon was combing her auburn hair”.

The capability of the mind to picture what is described in words doesn’t come easily. However, there are times when it is very effective. An example could be taken from the time while we lived in Campinas. The neighbor who lived beside the church was Sr. Americo. He had a “family dog” that was already getting up in years. Everyone in the community recognized the skinny white mixed breed mutt with light brown spots on his back, and would normally give him a nibble of something to eat -- not that he needed it, he had good quality rations at home, but he had become the neighborhood mascot.

As the years passed, Sr. Americo’s dog began to develop arthritis in his hind quarters, and could hardly get around. Everyone wondered how much longer the friendly mutt could keep going. Then one day we noticed the determination of that mutt, and took a lesson from it -- the mutt had learned to balance himself and walk on his two front legs. I suppose the memory of the treats and the pats from the neighbors were too good to miss.

Where am I going with this “tale”? (Which, by the way, is word for word true!) Simply this -- as we write about God’s people in other places where you’ve never had a chance to visit, asking you to pray for people you’ve never had a chance to meet, doubtless you attempt to “put a face” with the names. At times they may be close to accurate, but more likely they aren’t, but does that matter? Not in the least! The relish with which you imagine, and then pray is just as strong, and just as effective.

Too often in our times of prayer, we have not taken time to collect information relative to needs of the KINGDOM as a whole, and wind up praying for “me and mine” and nothing more. There are too many means easily available today to be able to justify ourselves in our prayers being limited to what amounts to “selfish praying”. As you access places like www.fwbgo.com and read the prayer requests from the different mission fields and different missionary families, or sites like those of our different FWB Colleges, and see the needs of the students who are sacrificing to prepare for God’s ministry, you will be forming images in your mind, but more importantly you will be praying for them as well as for us, and that’s what it’s all about -- “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”.

 

JSturgill
10/01/2007
Vol.1 - No.3

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