Daily Devotional for May 9

 

May 9                                                                Luke 10:1-16

Grandpa Fershee was dying. His family knew it. The hospital
staff knew it. Most important, Grandpa knew it. After eighty-
seven years, there was nothing to do now but rest, allow the
medication to ease the pain of a congested heart, and wait for
transition into the glory of God's presence .

Taking a break, one of Grandpa's nurses joined my mother
in the visitors' lounge. "Such a remarkable man!" she glowed.
"Your father-in-law served in how many lands?"

Mother was startled. "I think you've misunderstood!"

The nurse's face fell. "But in the last few hours, he's told me
all about his hospital in Nigeria! He described the climate, the
food, the natives' clothes, even the layout of the compound.
I could almost smell the anesthetic!"

Mother shook her head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. Mr.
Fershee was not in Nigeria; his daughter was. Several of his
children served as foreign missionaries."

"And India? China? Australia? Are they just an old man's
fantasies?"

"Oh, he would have loved to travel. To be formally educated,
to serve his God professionally. But life took strange turns.
Nine children, the Great Depression, a chronically ill wife. The
best he could do was keep food on the table and coal in the
stove, and raise a family rooted in the Word of God."

"But the details!"

"He must have memorized his children's letters. And after
retirement, he read and studied faithfully at the public library.
We knew he talked daily with God regarding 'the work,' but
we had no idea that... ."

"That he really was a missionary?" The nurse laughed. "I knew
he wasn't confused!"

     Relax, child, My world thrives on love, not guilt.
     Let faces, names, and scenes flow through your
     prayers. You will recognize your passion. You will
     discover your work.

​

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.