Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead,
with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.
Revelation 14:16
Since I write and speak for a living, I thought my abilities in that area were fine and dandy. Until last Sunday when two back-to-back incidents dealt severe blows to my pride.
The first blow came Sunday morning after I left my purse on a chair to stake a claim in the sanctuary. Then I scurried to join the line to the women’s restroom. I didn’t recognize the woman standing next to me and introduced myself.
But she couldn’t introduce herself. She was deaf. And I couldn’t communicate because my pen and paper were in my purse. So I pointed to my name tag, (Thank you, Sue Woolston!) and my new friend smiled.
The second blow came Sunday afternoon as I prepared for the Adventure Club Bible lesson about the Ten Commandments. My goal was to put the ten big ones in kid language. But I couldn’t think of how to explain “thou shalt not commit adultery” without going way beyond my comfort zone. When Adventure Club started, I was still clueless.
As it turned out, the craft lady (Thank you, Marsha Arrowood!) took care of the situation during art time. When the kids arrived for the Bible story, I asked them which commandments they remembered, One little boy chimed in, saying, “In crafts we learned married men shouldn’t have another girlfriend, and married women shouldn’t have another boyfriend.” The craft lady nailed it.
Ever since Sunday, I’ve been thinking about what those incidents revealed about my communication skills. You know, the ones God gives so we can proclaim the gospel to every nation and tribe and language and people? Obviously, when it comes to some tribes and nations, my communication skills stink.
I keep asking myself the same questions. How can I better proclaim the gospel to nations and tribes and such? How can I better reach the people hungry enough for the gospel to attend a church where only a few people speak their language?
Answering those questions took creativity since sign language isn’t part of my skill set. But I do know how to write, so from now on, I’ll plan to carry a pen and notebook on Sundays. And I’ll be sure to wear my name tag for the people who can see but not hear my name. I also decided to make a conscious effort to think back to childhood and find words a youngster will understand, and then split my conversation time more evenly between kids and adults.
So I feel ready to share the gospel with two new tribes and nations this week, thanks to a couple well-aimed blows to my pride. A little pain for eternal gain is worth the hurt, don’t you think?
