Photo: Full of Eyes - The Shepherd
Years ago, I read a story about a pastor from Russia in a book by Nik Ripken that was titled, The Insanity of God. The clincher of the account has never left me, and I find myself pondering the implication again lately.
This pastor was not only imprisoned for his work, but his family was moved to a shack in Siberia. Without a husband to provide and care for the family, their food supply quickly became desperate. As the mother fed the last of their food to her children, one quiet voice whispered, "Mama, what will we do?"
Looking into the frightened face, lean hollows having replaced the once chubby cheeks of childhood, the mother tenderly replied, "The Lord will provide. Let's pray now."
In a town miles away, in the middle of the night, a church deacon was stirred from his sleep by the Lord. The words clearly impressed in his head were, "Go pack your horse and wagon, and take all the extra food that has been collected by the church."
Recognizing the Shepherd's voice, but clearly troubled by the thought of leaving his warm bed, the man argued: "But, Lord, it's the middle of the night! I could get lost in the dark! And there are wolves along the way that could attack my horse.... Plus, it's the dead of winter! I may never make it back!"
The firm reply sounded, "I told you to go. I didn't tell you to worry about coming back."
Reading this, I wonder, "What has it cost me to be God's answer to someone's prayer?"
By Vanessa Brobbel
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Insanity of God by Nik Ripkin - Chapter 20 - pp 166-167