He was successful in business and in life, blessed with great wealth that took a lifetime to achieve but he did not know God. His wife of over 40 years served God as a Catholic and remained steadfast in her belief. Together they built their dream home high on a hill over looking the rest of the world, they planned to spend the rest of their lives there.

With his deep love for his wife, a celebration was planned to renew their wedding vows; a priest from out of town did the officiating. The man liked the Godly priest and welcomed him in his home.

Shortly after the celebration came the startling news that the man had cancer… a bad type of cancer. The family did all they could do and agreed to an aggressive treatment. Things seems to look better for a short while but the malignancy came back with vengeance to attack his body.

At  our Bible study one of the ladies shared his plight and we prayed because he did not know God.  Every week would come a new report on the man’s condition and it was despairing news, we prayed special graces for his wife and their children but mostly for him to turn to God. The man bravely and honorably fought but it was not to be.

Last week I attended funeral services for the man that did not know God. His children both shared heart-rending stories about their loving father. His beautiful poised granddaughter spoke eloquently about her grandfather and the love that they shared. The loving wife was left numb by his absence but she never gave up on him, she was the families’s silent spiritual backbone.

At the memorial the same priest that renewed their wedding vows, would also eulogize the man. This priest and the man had formed a bond and the man called upon the priest to help him prepare for his death. The man  asked the priest if it was too late for him to know God and the priest answered “No.” As the priest shared his story of how a person who was given so much and gave so much of himself to those he loved that the mercy of God came to save him. These words represented the man’s gentleness and his free will that lead him to God. The parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) was the missing link for the man that did not know God. I listen intently as the priest connected the parable to the man, the priest reminded us that it was a year of mercy and that the Lord allowed the celebration with close friends and family with the renewing of their vows because God knew that the man’s time was short.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle,[a] and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

The hours of the workday correlate to stages in life when people turn to God, Christ in his vineyard, where they harvest much fruit for God before the sun sets on their earthly life . It does not matter if the conversion is early or late in life, we are all awarded the generous and equal gift of eternal life.

What a beautiful end to the story of this man; all the prayers from his family and strangers lead him to know God and he will forever be remembered as the man who walked in the arms God. Yes, that is how easy our maker makes it for us!

I remain, a faithful servant of the most high, praying for all who stumbles across these writings.

Did you know that we are all given special giftings? When you were born God’s intention was to gift you with special blessings. The Bible speaks of these gifts and how we are to develop them. Romans 12:6 -8 states “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophesy, let us prophesy in the proportion of our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering: he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

I do not have the gift of cooking; it feels unnatural for me to follow a recipe and nine times out of ten things goes amiss. Mike, my husband on the other hand has this gift and can whip up a delicious meal in no time; he methodically follows recipes and adds his own flair. Mike is also a numbers guy and I am not. I have never been able to balance a check book, but I can intercede for the needs of many.

By now, if you are an adult you should have already recognized your gifts. If you have not, it’s because you have not asked God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or showdown of turning.” (James 1:17) Yes, that means that our gifts are not only free but perfect. We ask God to direct our every path and for the wisdom to know what we are called to do in His kingdom. When you finally discover your gifts, the more you exercise them the more fine tune they become. “To those who much is given much is expected” (Luke 12:48).  Gifts comes with responsibility, I have the gift to teach the Word of God, interpret and to share it with others. If I were not doing this it would not be considered a sin but if you are not using your gifts, you are restless and feel a void. My sister Norma is called to intercede for others and when she prays, it is for hours or until she gets a breakthrough. When she is out of her element there is an imbalance in her spiritual walk.

During the recent news report of the 9/11, a story was shared about a stockbroker who had changed his career path due to the attacks. He became a doctor, this was his real calling and it took a catastrophe to redirect him, the gentleman added that he was never happier.

We are individually called to serve God in this crazy world and were picked to be born at this time. Gifts matter and if you are called to be a mother of four, be the most gracious mother, if you are called to drive a bus filled with screaming children do it with a smile. If you are called to run a corporation do it with the wisdom of God. If you are called to teach be the best teacher and pray for your students. If you have been gifted with your hands, use them to glorify God. If you are called to serve God, do it with all your heart.

Give of yourself to others and your blessings will be many. “Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you”  (Luke 6:38)

When an athletic trains for a race, the training is for a win to reach the goal for the prize that they worked so hard for.  Just as your body can be conditioned to win, so our minds must be trained to win in battles. Some of us have many crosses to bear;such as, serious illnesses, addictions, loss of a love ones, finances,etc. God allows these trials to make us stronger and he will never give you more than you can handle (1 Cor 10:13), God will always give us a way out. We need to stand our ground and use the Word of God as our main weapon against the destructive tactics of the enemy. Maybe you received a bad report from the doctor, what you do with this information will set the standards on your recovery. If you allow fear to come in then you have personally invited the enemy to take hold of your thoughts. Fear is a spirit and a stronghold, you have the authority to bring it down (Rom 8:15) God did not give us a spirit of fear, so that means it comes from Satan. When we operate in fear we are weak in our prayers because trusting God is no longer effective. So you pray but with the lack of faith, your prayer is in limbo. Yes, God hears you but you lack three things to get you through your trials.

1. Encouragement
2. Wisdom
3. Faith

   

Without encouragement you feel empty (nobody cares, why me?), without wisdom you do not have the guidance of God, Without faith you cannot pray. All this keeps us in bondage and Satan has you right where he wants you, defeated. When I was told by the neurologist that I had Parkinson’s it was not easy for me to pray, I first had to get over the initial shock.  I cried but then I prayed. God allows us these times of sorrow to bring us into His trusting arms. From every trial we experience, we are to draw from Him and understand that all is in His control, not ours. If we doubt, we are being double minded, such actions holds back from a complete trust in God because inside we waver between conviction and doubt.  God wants us to trust in Him more than ever, and I know that for some of us this is a huge step to take.

A very dear friend of mine is suffering from stage four cancer and in treatment with no signs of remission as of yet. She is trusting God and battling for her life and she should be afflicted with pain but has not had any signs of it. Why? I cannot answer that, but I can share with you that she is a strong believer and servant of the Most High God. Her attitude remains positive as she focuses on a miracle. Will she get this miracle? God answers every prayer with yes, no and wait. As my friend waits, in the interim she is trusting God and that is a remarkable attribute to instill in others.  Whether  her report is negative or positive, she remains focused on the prize at the end of the race.

My Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I cannot do this alone, I am tired, angry, and want to give up! Please Lord help me get through this, I can no longer continue this battle on my own. Dear Lord I cry out to You for Help. Please hear my cry and deliver me from this affliction, help my unbelief and walk me though this darkness.  Thank you Father for caring for me. Please help me in every area of my life to trust in You.  AMEN

Remember you are never alone! He cares and I do too!