SEE TO IT...

Col. 4:17 - “Tell Archippus: ‘See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.’”

I received sad news in an email Thursday night—my friend, Mission Chairman of a supporting church, and champion for missions had been suddenly taken home through a road accident. Earlier that day we also had been dealing with some of the mammoth pile of reports, etc., from while we were gone…and one item had somewhat discouraged us and caused us to once again question…will VOICE truly be sustainable? I didn’t sleep well with so much going through my mind.

Friday, Ruth and I were off at 7:00 a.m. heading to Scripture Union to join their daily one-hour devotional period and then meet with the Administrator to discuss how VOICE might become more a part of SU as they do their 2016 planning. As we rode along, my struggle continued. I was also wrestling with the fact that we still had not been able to begin preparing the Honesty Modules for printing…that sense of being overwhelmed once again was stealing my peace. I struggled to pray. Ruth shot up a silent one, “Lord let us sight You as the Lion of Judah today.” The SU devotions centered around the difference one person can make, King Josiah, and the realization that he came from an ungodly family…which meant some unnamed person had spoken truth into his life and what a difference that person had made. After closing prayer, SU always reviews the memory verse of the week and it was Colossians 4:17, “Tell Archippus: ‘See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.’" As it was recited, Ruth was hit “right between her eyes”—she had sighted the Lion of Judah and heard His word to her. But just in case we may not have heard it, the leader then spontaneously (not knowing anything about our struggles), went on to say, “Ruth and Laura, finish the work God has given you to do.” Suddenly God was there assuring us and helping us to not let the mysteries and trials of life detract us from the work He has given us to do. With renewed encouragement, our meeting that day doubled in length as four of us shared together about the work God was giving us to do in 2016. It also slowly dawned on me…yes, Jay had completed the work God had given him to do, and God took him. Join us in doing all we can to complete the work God has entrusted to us.

(Link on the accident that claimed the life of a supporting Church Missions Chairperson: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/kindergarten-teacher-jay-keddy-killed-biking-on-claremont-access-1.3348586)