A Note From Tom: May 19th, 2011
Hey, everyone!
Hope you’re having an awesome day, filled with warm and sunny joy and thanks even though there might be some showers on this chilly spring day! Here’s your forecast…
“Cool weather continues with high temps in the low 60s. Light showers are expected at times…”
You wouldn’t exactly expect that for mid May!
I’ve got a day that might have some unexpected moments…Flying to Atlanta and then on to Barcelona for the Western Europe Young Life conference (Pray for me!)…
Weather in Atlanta?…Not sure.
Forecast for Barcelona?…Don’t know that either.
Will my luggage make it? Who knows?
Three weeks ago when we flew to Italy, our bag went to France. I usually borrow a bright yellow bag from Andy and Amy that we call “Big Bird” (because it looks like him!). Not exactly sure how they could lose it. When they told me it would be delivered to where we were staying, I told them at the desk, “You can’t miss it. It looks like the sun coming up!”
Planes and trains to towns I’ve never been to…to speak to folks I mostly don’t know…Lots of things I’m not sure about! But one thing we always know…rain or shine…warm or chilly…jet lagged or not…English or Spanish…God is watching over us, loving us, caring for us, always making everything work out for the best and coolest plan!
In uncertainty, it is awesome to have some things we can always count on!
The other day I was reading that Queen Victoria of England asked her pastor at St. Paul’s after his message, "Can one be absolutely sure in this life of eternal safety?"
"No, there is no way that anyone can be absolutely sure."
Yikes! And yuck! It would be awful not to be sure! And we can be!
Somehow this post-sermon conversation got published in the Court News and a friend of George Muller read it. He took a deep breath, said a prayer, and wrote to the Queen(!)…
”To Her Gracious Majesty, our beloved Queen Victoria, from one of your most humble subjects: With trembling hands, but heart-filled love, and because I know that we can be absolutely sure now for our eternal life in the home that Jesus went to prepare, may I ask Your Most Gracious Majesty to read the following passages of Scripture: John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10. I sign myself, your servant for Jesus' sake, John Townsend.”
He was shocked to find in the mail an envelope with the royal seal, and inside this letter…
“To John Townsend: I have carefully and prayerfully read the portions of Scripture referred to. I now believe in the finished work of Christ for me, and trust by God's grace, to meet you one day in that place He has prepared for us in heaven. Victoria Guelph”
It’s so awesome to know some things for sure! Or as John T said, to be “…absolutely sure for our eternal life…!”
Sometimes there are stories like this that get passed around over and over (in fact, I just did it!)…Nobody knows where they started. Sometimes no one can be sure whether they really happened. I’ve heard messages where they talked about “Spurgeon walking down the street and a drunk came up to him…” And other times it was Moody walking down the street. Or Billy Graham…
Who knows if anyone was walking down the street…or if letters were exchanged between a paster and a queen. Who knows if it’ll rain today…or if I’ll get on the right train… But “with trembling hands, but heart-filled love, …I know that we can be absolutely sure now for our eternal life”
And that our God will watch us and love all this chilly day!