Around the Globe

If you are in the middle of something and your cell phone rings, do you look and see who it is before you answer? If it's your wife or kid you answer immediately if not you send it to voice mail. Right?

So the other day I'm helping one of our members install a door at the building and my phone rings. I look at it and don't recognize the number but answered anyway. The guy says, "Is this Doug?"

"Yep"

"You don't know me but you talked to my mother yesterday."

Uh-oh. I immediately began thinking, "What the stink did I do or say to make this guy mad?"

He went on to say that he is in the Navy and is in Iraq. He is having some trouble and his mother suggested he call me.

What?! In the Navy? In Iraq!? How cool is that!? I was actually talking to a guy who was in the middle of the desert and in need of some comfort from God! As we say around Midtowne, "Pretty Stinkin' Awesome!"

The short version of the story is that I was able to talk with him for about 15 minutes and give him some encouragement and pray with him. He thanked me and assured me he would be back in touch. I am really looking forward to hearing from him again.

Isn't it amazing that in a few short weeks God can use us to minster to the needs of people half a world away as well as the hundreds (yes hundreds) who are coming from our community? I have also been able to talk with two other soldiers, two wives whose husbands are in Iraq, and the parents of a soldier who is now on his way home.

What an honor to serve God. What a blessing to serve those who are serving our country. What a responsibility we have as God's children to meet needs as they come up.

Pray for our soldiers. Pray for their families. Pray that we will rise to the occasion when called upon.