Words

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

What did Paul’s friends say when he refused to be persuaded?

When Paul refused to be persuaded his friends said, “Well, may the will of the Lord be done.” That is what you say when you do not know what else to say. That is what you pray when you do not know how else to act. They are simply saying, “Lord, it is up to you. We can’t stop this man.”

In this present world today, perfection— precise, absolute correctness—is needed, wanted, asked for and expected to the highest levels of communications. When I was a sophomore in high school, my first month, on my first report card, I received an ‘F’ on my first speech to my classmates from the front of the classroom. Was I embarrassed? Yes, I was; however, I knew it would happen. My confidence in myself was a ‘low zero.’ That time of my life was my first adventure into the real world, after spending nine months in bed with a fatal kidney disease. I use those word due to the fact that that is what my doctor in lower areas of Minnesota told me. I was born/raised on the Canadian border in northern Minnesota. Taking a train to the Iowa border medical university was the final option to try and find out what was wrong with my kidneys. (That was 1957.) After several months, local doctors could not come up with an answer, so they sent me south to lower areas of the state to the medical university. The doctor had me for three days, and had it totally figured out. The disease was not that foreign to local medical people, but unusual would be a better word to use. He told my parents in privacy that, being it took so long to zero in on it, now there was no hope for recovery due to my entire system’s having become poisoned in that time period of ‘not knowing.’ Every joint in my body was red and swollen (and painful). However, other than that—I felt ok. He told them, “He has about six months to live.” I wrongfully got wind of that after returning home. I totally rejected those few words, due to the fact I recently had begun learning the guitar (my father was teaching me—old gospel music, as that was about all he knew himself). I thought to myself, “I am really enjoying this project, however I cannot learn it much in six months,” so that boosted my anticipation of more time. Something happened? Today it is January 19, 2022. I guess my Creator had other plans for my life. I have played guitar for close to sixty-four years, and still ‘wanting to learn more.’ I have had good kidneys for the same length of time. I (humbly) say, “I was healed!” I see my doctor twice a year now (for a few minutes each time). I guess I have been healed! By the way—in an error of my English teacher —she incorrectly gave me an ‘A’ on my final sophomore report card (but I did not tell her that).

Some folks, from all walks of life, have told me for years, “That kind of healing only took place in the thirty-three years Christ walked on this planet.” My answer? Oh, ok. (To each their own thoughts/words, but that does stop me from going into my closet and praying for them—ignorance remains at least until they experience God’s ability and miracles in today’s world also. Never argue with them—as they will learn when it’s their time to learn. (Just called them a blessed ‘common type.’)

by Robert D. Anderson