A Precious Moment

“The details don't matter. But, I will never forget.”

Then she simply said, “You saved my life.” A huge smile broke across her face, and she leapt up at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. To say the least, I was taken aback by the suddenness of both her statement and her hug. I struggled for a moment to find the words needed to find out what lay behind her words. But she cut me off, waving her hand in front of me. “The details don’t matter. But, I will never forget.”

With that, she again smiled broadly and then continued her journey down the street.

The entire encounter had taken only a moment. In the absence of any background story, I will never fully understand what happened. But as I watched her walk joyfully down the sidewalk, I could not help but think about how precious such moments are. They don’t happen every day, and you can’t predict them. Indeed, Scripture never promises that we will ever see the harvest of our labor. We’re just called upon to be faithful, and then leave the rest to him.

Moments of Divine Blessing

That’s what makes such moments so significant. When Christians have the opportunity to see how work done in the name of the Lord bears fruit in the life of someone else, it reminds us of why we are determined to be faithful in the first place. These moments are glimpses into a larger world, sneak peeks into the goodness and the provision of God. They call us once again to remember that nothing done in Christ’s name will ever be for naught.

In the fifteenth chapter of Romans, Paul writes clearly about his calling to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. He knows that there are some who wonder about his ministry among “outsiders,” but in the end, it really makes no difference. He’s simply doing what he’s called to do. “Therefore,” he writes, “I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.” (v.17)

Looking over the scope and impact Paul’s ministry, it’s safe to say that he had experienced enough moments of divine blessing to believe that what he was doing would make a difference for the kingdom. The days might be hard and the journeys long. But the results were undeniable. And therefore, he was determined to go on.

The Ministry Drawer

In our home, my wife and I have a place we call “the ministry drawer.” It’s where we keep a small collection of notes and cards that people have sent us over the years. They’re usually rather short, and many of them are written in the rough hand of a child. But each one is of inestimable value to us, because they constitute a small body of evidence that ministry matters, that God is at work, and that all we need to do is remain faithful.

When the days are hard and the obligations many, it’s vital for Christian leaders to take just a moment and reflect upon their own “ministry drawer,” whether it’s found in tangible form or simply in the recesses of memory. Because that’s where we can find a little encouragement and another reminder of the fact that he is faithful in all things. That’s where we can see his amazing grace, overflowing not only in the lives of those to whom we minister, but in our own as well. And therefore, we go on.

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Commissioner Kenneth Hodder serves as the National Commander of The Salvation Army. He is a member of the Christian Leadership Alliance Board of Directors.

Listen to Commissioner Kenneth Hodder on Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes Conference Podcast as he discusses “Using Your Strengths to Serve Better.”

 Learn more about Outcomes magazine.