"Doing Our Best "

by Vicki Sturgill

God often places people in our lives to whom we can serve as a blessing, but sometimes that person becomes a blessing to us in return.
Many years ago we met a very needy, but proud mother. Offended by offers of material help, whether food, clothes or school materials, she held her head high and cared for her children. She suffered much (beatings and emotional abuse) at the hands of an unfaithful, drunkard and drug addicted husband. Finally another man became her companion and three more children were added to the family. A relative brought all the children to church from the time they were in diapers and we learned to love them very much and in turn those children loved us. We often witnessed to the mother and when the children were in special programs at the church she often came, but never seemed interested in knowing Christ as her Saviour.
After a long sickness, the doctors discovered the mother had AIDs. Many times we visited with her. One day as I pulled the car up in front of the house, three year old Samuel ran, hugged me, and said, “Did you come to pray for my mother? She is so very sick. She cannot get out of bed to come to talk.” He pulled me along, as unannounced we entered the three room shack the family lived in. Without a chair in the room, I sat on the bed with Samuel cuddled in my lap. I could tell the mother was getting weaker. Once again I presented the Gospel and as I was finishing, she turned her back, not speaking another word to me, but little Samuel pleaded, “Pray for her, pray for my mother.” I not only prayed for the mother, but for all the children in the family who I had learned to love so dearly.
Quietly, holding hands, Samuel and I left the house. I couldńt say a word as the tears rolled down my face. How I wanted to take Samuel home with me, but at that moment his mother needed him more than I did. A few days later the mother was gone, and the children had a new step-mother with whom the father was already living. Their new home was just a few houses from their old one.
The three younger children still attend Sunday School faithfully. Samuel, now six, took the show at the Christmas play this year. Even with his speech problem, he said his four lines in a voice that could be heard by all. You could hear the “oos” and “ahs” from all over the building. Tears ran down the face of his Sunday School teacher and many others as Samuel did his best for the Lord. We were all blessed.
There is a special lesson from Samuel. He could have played the role of Moses (who happens to be one of his heroes) and said that he could not speak plain enough to have a part in the play. Samuel could have been like John Mark who he studied about in Sunday School. Mark started well helping Paul and Barnabas, but gave up during the middle of the journey. But no, not Samuel. He climbed that steep mountain to the church every week to practice his part in the play.
Samuel was determined to do his best for the Lord. After all he learned I Corintians 10:31 in Sunday School. “...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
May we learn that verse and put it into practice with Samuel as our example.

01/07/2008
Vol.2 - No.1

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