Jon has had a recliner in his room in front of his TV, where he watches his DVD’s and old VHS movies, since we moved to Florida. This particular old chair came with us from New Hampshire twelve years ago and had seen better days. It was stiff and ripped from years of overuse and no amount of scrubbing improved the look of the tan vinyl. It was time for it to go to old furniture heaven.

Those of you who’ve been around us for any length of time know we are craigslist junkies. Most every major purchase item taking up space in our home and driveway comes from craigslist. My money saving husband is a huge proponent of letting others pay full price for something, use it four times, decide they don’t want it, then sell it to him for less than half the original cost. He get’s thrills and chills from obtaining a nearly new item at a bargain. So when it was time to buy Jon a new chair, Mike visited his favorite store-craigslist.com. 

We didn’t want to pay much. Jon is not very kind to his possessions, so after looking for a few weeks we finally found him a decent used recliner at a decent price, borrowed a truck from a friend and went to pick it up. At least that’s what we thought was the only purpose of this venture.

While Mike was tying the chair down inside the truck bed the woman we were purchasing it from (I’ll call her Susan) and I began chatting. In the course of our conversation she shared that she was moving and selling a lot of her furniture-“downsizing” is how she put it. Also, as often does, the question of Mike’s occupation came up and the fact that he is a pastor. 

We paid her and were getting ready to hop in the truck to leave. As Susan started to walk back toward her garage she turned suddenly and called out, “Pastor Mike, Oh Pastor Mike, I wonder if you could do something for me before you go.”

I turned around, looked at her and the first thing that came out of my mouth was, “Do you need us to pray for you?”

She immediately dropped her face into her hands and began to sob uncontrollably. I went to her and gathered her shaking body up in my arms holding her for about three minutes while she cried all over me. When she gained enough composure to speak she half cried, half yelled, “Why did God have to take him away?!”

“Who have you lost?” I asked gently.

“My husband,” Susan wailed, grief pouring from the depths of her being, “He just died suddenly of a heart attack. He was only 62. Now he’s gone and that’s why I’m moving. That chair you’re buying is his.” 

She stared at Mike, giant tears gliding down her face, like he could somehow wave a magic wand and make it all OK or at least give her an answer that made sense.

We couldn’t give her an answer of course, because we don’t know. We don’t know why people die suddenly, why tragedies occur, why things just don’t make sense sometimes but we could tell her about The Answer-Jesus. The man of sorrows who died to take every ounce of grief, heart wrenching pain and confusion we can face in this life, upon Himself to give us hope and peace. And we prayed with her, hugged her and tried our best to give her some comfort in the few minutes God divinely ordained us to be there. 

As it turned out Susan did want Mike to muscle something in the garage for her that needed fixing, something that required having a man around to do. He helped her with that and she thanked him profusely. We asked her if she needed anything else, said our goodbyes with a promise to continue praying for her and left with her husband’s recliner gently shifting in the wind in the truck bed as we drove the highway home. ‘

Anytime I walk into Jon’s room, I will be reminded of a day we thought we were just going to make a purchase, but God knew of a heartbroken woman thirty miles away who needed a hug, a prayer, a ray of hope, so He set up a divine appointment – with a chair.

If you think you need a title, a platform, or a microphone, to do ministry, think again. Right this very minute opportunity to give away the love of Jesus is all around you. Ministry happens anytime, anywhere there’s you and people in need, so open your eyes, open your ears, open your heart and be aware of the “chair” moments that arise in the routine events of your every day .

I Peter 3:15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hopethat you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

This morning, I spent two and a half hours at the lab, waiting to have the “vampire’ nurse (my nick name for phlebotomists 🙂) draw blood for my annual physical next week. At least thirty people were ahead of me when I arrived and a steady stream flowing in behind me; so many people, there weren’t enough seats for everyone. 

Since this lab is the only one covered by my insurance and it closes at three everyday and is not open weekends, today was my only option. Mike has Fridays off and he was home with Jon. I knew I was in for a long wait so I signed in and settled myself with my friend’s new book, fresh off the publisher’s press last week, and delved into chapter three, where I had left off.

During pauses in reading, I realized several things:

• People are mad when they have to wait. Ninety percent of the folks in that room were fidgeting, sighing and complaining-loudly-with the two gals behind the reception desk the target of everyone’s impatience. I put my reading aside for a while and observed these two harried employees. Though overwhelmed, they were working hard to process the masses through quickly. It was obvious they were trying to hold it together, maintaining a decorum of courtesy and self control in spite of a slew of angry patients adding burden to their workload . 

• People don’t entertain themselves very well. Maybe our technology has turned us into a culture of ADD types with toddler attention spans. There was only one other person in the room reading a book, oblivious to the chaos around him. No one came prepared for a long wait and that only perpetuated more impatience.

Galatians 5:22 lists patience as one of the fruit of the Spirit. If I am intentional about walking in the Spirit everyday as Galatians 5:25 exhorts, then my fruit should be coming more evident. When out in the community am I mirroring an image of Christ that reflects His glory or one that damages it?  Christ followers should be the most patient people in the room, in the line, on the freeway, in the world. 

The world is watching. The folks in that waiting room this morning sure were. Watching each other was the only thing they had to do. What did they see when they looked at me?

Heavenly Father, by the power of the Spirit at work in us who claim to be Your followers, may others see the good fruit of patience manifested in us everywhere we go and in everything we do. Today, we submit to Your work in our heart and life to bring us to that result.

James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.