There is an English speaking fellowship in
the south of Spain, where everyone knew that Brenda had a telephone friend.
Well, that is how it started out. Another
friend, also living out there, was very concerned for her. ‘Can you imagine
anything worse’ she asked me; ‘to be blind and in constant pain?’
Well, yes I could. Whatever our
circumstances, if we have Jesus we have everything. There are some who may have
their health, wealth, home, but if they are not loved or appreciated, and if
they are constantly abused, even just verbally, how wretched is their
condition? That is, unless they have Jesus in their lives, to bear their pain and
pour in the oil of consolation.
Those were my thoughts, until Brenda told
me how she had intended to spray bleach into her sink, but, alas, the nozzle
was turned the wrong way and found it had gone into her eyes, causing extreme
pain and maybe even more damage.
Loneliness, too, can be very hard to bear,
and my heart went out to this elderly lady suffering the affliction of
blindness on top of many other ailments.
No, I couldn’t imagine anything worse. I
have a special rate for overseas calls, so I asked for Brenda’s phone number.
What a feisty lady I met on the other end
of the phone. Full of joy and faith for all that God was doing in their
fellowship, and interested too in my circumstances, our time was whizzing by. We
kept a date for Saturday evenings, but I had to remember to put my timer on so
that we did not overrun the hour. And so, by now I too had a very special
telephone friend.
Brenda may have been weak in body, but she
was so strong in faith. She had known miracles in answer to her prayers, and
though she did not receive healing for her sight, she was not deterred.
She had been so thrilled to tell me that
though their fellowship had been through storms, now a lovely Irish gentleman,
with his wife, was coming to shepherd them. This was a new beginning and her
weekly telephone logs were full of joy, until –
Yes, sadly her dear Pastor seemed to be
undergoing personality changes, and at last a brain tumour was detected. ‘But prayer was made’ along the coast,
yes, and at the end of the line here in UK too, until the wonderful news buzzed
over the wires, that he was healed.
But once again there was trouble in the
fellowship. As it says in the parable, ‘an enemy has done this.’ Could it be?
But nothing deterred our Brenda from
praying. By now dependant on carers coming in and other wonderful caring
friends, she still spent hours in intercession.
I remember how she would laugh about how
she and a friend were bouncing at either end of her sofa, but it was no
laughing matter, for her flat was at the top of a high rise building. Their
part of the coast were experiencing a succession of smaller earthquakes, while
more serious ones were threatened. The bouncing may have seemed a laughing
matter while a friend was with her, but when she struggled out of bed to find
the furniture had been moved out of place through the quakes she felt
completely disorientated.
And more serious quakes were forecast and
I remember too how she wrestled with God
in prayer, and how, the following week she told me how the expected course had
been deflected away from the coast and the lives of many people saved in answer
to their prayers.
But
how grieved Brenda was that there seemed to be no further miracle for their
dear pastor. She had been so sure that
he was to be the answer to their need in the fellowship. How she poured out her
complaint to her Saviour and Friend.
I had known that Brenda might well reach
heaven before me, and how could we wish her to linger? But a friend had
prophesied that she would see her 82nd birthday, and I wrote this
poem for this special occasion, and she pressed on for a few more months.
I confess I wept when her friends let me
know that she was in hospital with a stroke, and where could she go when she
came out? But I knew my tears were selfish ones, and it was with thanksgiving
that we heard she was safe home. The Lord has been preparing a very special
place for her, and a very special reception committee for her too, for only the
day before, God had called their dear pastor,
too, into his presence and he would have been there, waiting for her.
We prayed for our dear Pastor Warren and
now he is doing well not just in answer to our prayers, but all in her fellowship had to pray for him
(at her command), while there are other of her prayers yet to be answered and I
am confident that they will be, since she has entered into the presence of
Jesus, the One who ever lives to make intercession for us.
I thank God for this very special lady,
and for the privilege God gave me of being her ‘telephone friend.’ So if sometimes the hours seem long and you
are in need of a friend, maybe God has a special telephone friend waiting for
you to call.
SOLDIER OF CHRIST
Brave
warrior, limping, weary from the fight,
As
friends we’re gathered here to cheer you on
Not
yet, not yet to lay your weapons down
But
courage bring to face the last lap home
So
let us pause awhile to give God praise
Strong
in his strength, though ours may long have fled
Once
more together drink this cup of joy
Once
more in glad assurance break the bread
Then
gladly we will trust you to the care
Of
him whose death has won such rich reward
So
soon will darkness yield to glorious sight
Of
Christ our Saviour, Holy, Holy Lord
