The following meditation was written by Dr. Yvonne Martinez Thorne, psychologist and ordained clergy for the American Baptist Churches USA.
“I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 (Common English Bible)
There are times in our lives when we may feel so discouraged that we find it difficult to take hold of the encouraging words of the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah. These compelling words seem to lose their power during a time of difficult decision-making that offers no positive outcome for us and our loved ones. Although we firmly believe that God loves us, our dire circumstances have eroded our confidence in God’s plan of hope, peace, and promise. Yet, our need beckons us to make difficult decisions despite our fear, anxiety, fatigue or weariness. It is in these moments that the words of the Prophet Jeremiah remind us that we are to earnestly and expectantly call upon God who loves us and will never abandon us, even in our desperate and seemingly hopeless conditions.
I recall an encounter with Thomas, a local shoeshine man, whom my husband, Leo, and I met in Izmir, Turkey, while attending an international religious meeting. It was a sunlit Sunday morning by the Aegean Sea as we walked to visit the Church of St. Polycarp, built in 1625 to commemorate the 2nd Century Bishop of Smyrna who died a martyr’s death refusing to renounce Jesus Christ. The church doors were locked. As we walked around the church complex, we came upon Thomas who greeted us with his radiant smile and exuberant joy: “Hallelujah brother! Hallelujah sister! I am a Christian.” Without showing any concern for his brass-covered shoeshine box and his small table of trinkets for sale, he immediately left them to guide us to a smaller church where the congregation was worshipping that morning. This selfless act of service and generosity toward two strangers he had just met was notable and made us wonder about his life story.
In our few days in Izmir, we came to know more about Thomas and his way of life that was shaped by decisions he made. Thomas’ early life was influenced by the religious guiding of his family until he had a life-changing encounter with a Christian businessman from Texas, USA, while plying his shoeshine trade. During his brief visit to Izmir, this traveler taught Thomas the Bible. Touched by what he heard about the sacrificial love of God through Jesus Christ, Thomas relinquished the faith of his family, accepted Christ as his Savior, and was baptized. Shortly thereafter, his wife and children also became Christians. His parents, unable to accept his decisions, disowned Thomas. This decision cost him his relationship with his family, his inheritance, and his home. With tears in his eyes, Thomas told us that he could never renounce Christ, no matter the cost: “How can I leave Jesus after all that he did for me?” He added that sometimes Jesus asks us to do some hard things. These two thoughts were pivotal for Thomas. He had abandoned all that he knew to live a Christian life. This decision exposed him to financial struggles he, his wife, and children would face. Was this an easy decision for Thomas to make? In human terms, no, but Thomas chose to face his struggles trusting in God’s love for him through Christ. God’s promise of love, hope, and peace had become the core of his relationship building with God.
In all our difficult and challenging circumstances, we are called to believe that God loves us and is present with us as we wait expectantly for his desired purpose for us. And, yes, waiting can be extremely difficult. But wait we must, trusting God’s process, as well as God’s outcome. In the final days we spent with Thomas, one morning he pointed to a “For Sale” sign he had placed on his brass shoeshine box, his primary source of income. He needed to move his family away from the increasing danger and violence where they lived. Thomas’ faith remained unfailing in God’s love, and he waited prayerfully and expectantly for God’s purpose. The day before we were to leave Izmir, we observed that his shoeshine box had not been sold. As we bid him goodbye later that evening, God had provided an answer for Thomas. Money miraculously arrived, and he did not have to sell his shoeshine box. Thomas wept openly as he once again encountered the faithful love of God who provided a future and hope for him and his family. Jeremiah’s word comes to us again.
Joy,
