Last week I wrote about my fascination with hero’s as a little boy, and how I later came to understand the true meaning of a hero. My perspective changed as my understanding became enlightened.
Thinking along those same lines I came across this week a hypothetical story of a young man’s meeting of the great Apostle Paul. Paul was this young man’s hero, and he so wanted to be like him. The story goes something like this:
We’ll call him David for the sake of the story. This young man David had for some time been born into the Kingdom of God through the acceptance of Christ as his Savior.
With passion weighing upon his heart for the Kingdom he would listen intently to the things God was doing throughout the world.
With all his heart he wanted to do something great for the Kingdom, one day he heard that the Apostle Paul was coming through his community. What an opportunity, if only he could get to Paul, and some how get him to lay his hands upon up him with such an anointing as Paul had, surely he could receive something, some life changing experience that would launch him into a powerful ministry.
He expected great fan fair with the arrival of Paul’s ministry and while awaiting the moment decided to take a walk through a near by city park. As he strolled down the walkway and wondered at the peace and beauty of God’s creation he came upon an elderly man kneeling beside a bench and praying intently. He seemed to be almost in tears, so, out of concern asked if he might be of help?
The man, well dressed but well worn, slowly lifted his head and set his eyes upon those of David. As David first had suspected, they were filled with tears. After a second of time elapsed, in a somewhat broken voice, the elderly man asked, “Young man, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?”
David somewhat surprised by the question replied, “Yes,
in fact I am awaiting the arrival of the Apostle Paul. I was in hope
that I might meet him and perhaps get him to pray for me. Perhaps you
might get him to pray for you as well?”
With that the elderly man slightly grinned and said, “Young man, I am the Apostle Paul, it would be my pleasure to pray with you and seek his purpose for our lives this day. What is upon you heart, what is that desire God has place upon it?”
Being caught off guard and in a completely unexpected situation the young man said, “Sir, my name is David, I have so admired you and your efforts toward the Kingdom. If I could only be like you Sir, and do the things you do! If only I could walk in the power of which you walk and experience the anointing that rests upon your ministry! That is what has been upon my heart for so long a time now Sir. Would you pray I could be like you?” David thinking he had well said as well as complimented his admirable hero, waited excitedly for Paul’s reply.
For a moment Paul’s eyes glanced away, but then fastened back again upon David’s. Paul’s eyes becoming now more fixed upon the moment said, “So David, you want to be like me? It would be my desire for you to follow me as I follow Christ. But the power and anointing that rests upon my ministry is not mine to give, but His alone of whom we serve. However there are some things I have experienced that has deepened my faith and relationship with my Lord, I would gladly pray you experience these as well.”
David was elated! He excitedly replied, “ Yes, by all means Sir, please, ask God in my behalf for these experiences!”
With great solemnity the Apostle Paul reached out his hand and placed it upon the forehead of the kneeling young man and began: “Grace and peace be with you David from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever more.
Father, David desires to know you as I have come to know you, teach him what I have learned and how to trust you in the most difficult times.
Let
him know your strength in persecutions, cast him into prison and let
him know your great joy and experience your communion when there is none
else.
Let
him be beaten five time Lord with 39 stripes; As he is beaten with rods
let him know the power of your grace; O Father, if he could be stoned
and left for dead, then know the power of your resurrection to rise
again, Oh what glory!”
David now beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, begins to back away somewhat, but Paul leans forward to meet him and says, “Wait David, there’s more to know!
Lord,
when David travels to fulfill your purpose, let his boat be taken away
that he my learn to trust you in the deep and the dark, through those
days of despair, let him learn there is no despair!
In
long lonely journeys let him learn your presence, to know you in perils
of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of his own nation, in perils
among the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness,
in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and
painfulness, in watching often, . . .”
Now beginning to perspire with uneasiness David again begins to back away, again he is met with Paul’s determination to pursue his purpose.
“Lord
let him know you when his stomach hungers and his mouth is dry for
thirst, when he is naked and cold let him know your great grace Lord!
Let his soul be spent for those you love! O Father, let him know and
walk through all these things that he may know what I have learned, his
sufficiency is of you Lord!”
Finally, to David’s relief Paul lifts his hand and again their eyes meet. “Young man, I have known all these things and much more, I never knew such joy and grace till I met these things with Him. You will learn that He is everything only when everything else but Him is gone.”
I’ll leave the rest of this story with your own imagination, take it where ever you would like. I still like hero’s, but I now understand something about the cost of being one.
Merry Christmas,
David
No comments:
Post a Comment