August 17 – All the Good I Could Do

I received the email from “Elder Peter” just yesterday. I haven’t yet responded, but I’ve been thinking about it.  Elder Peter, a recent convert from Islam, wrote to tell me about all that God is doing in his life, and then, amazingly, he told me what God wants to do in my life.  He’s so excited for me that he wrote in all caps:

GOD FURTHER DIRECTED ME TO GO TO THE INTERNET TO SEEK FOR A TRUSTED CHRISTIAN THAT I CAN DONATE THE SUM OF $3.2 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS FOR HUMANITARIAN WORK OF GOD AFTER MY SEARCH I FOUND YOU AND DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU

SO FORWARD YOUR CONTACT TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS TO ME IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN PROPERLY UTILIZE THIS FUND TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND ABOVE ALWAYS FAST AND PRAY ALWAYS.

$3.2 million U.S. for the humanitarian work of God. Elder Peter, I have some good ideas: that new eye clinic in Burundi, a new building for the school in Hunting Park, help in resettling the victims of Volcano Fuego’s eruption in Guatemala.  We could come along side Igreja Presbiteriana as they reach deeper into Favela Ventosa.  Or what about a gym for our growing youth program at LPC?

Elder Peter, I am your person.  I am so thankful your diligent search led you to me.

But something is keeping me from forwarding my contact telephone and fax numbers to Elder Peter.  Oh, it’s not that I don’t trust Elder Peter; he seems sincere enough. It is that I don’t trust myself.

Even if I gave every penny of the $3.2 million Elder Peter has promised me to HPCA or PLM, IPJA or Kibuye Hope, it would do me no good. I am not the person Elder Peter needs. My pride would get in the way of what God wants to do with Elder Peter’s $3.2 million. Or maybe I would get nervous and just bury the $3.2 million in the back yard.

Elder Peter needs to get off his computer and go into his world, wherever it is, and find what God is doing there and then pour himself and his $3.2 million into whatever that might be.

God has not given me $3.2 million, but he’s given me enough. I’m really more of a two talent guy than a five talent person. But, amazingly, he has allowed my world to be just big enough to included Hunting Park in North Philadelphia, Favela da Ventosa in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Kibuye Hope in Burundi, East Africa, and Lake Atitlan in the highlands of Guatemala. And Langhorne Presbyterian Church in suburban Philadelphia.

I need to go into my world, as amazingly big as it is, find out what God is doing there, and then pour myself – mostly myself – and whatever else I have into whatever that might be.

Tomorrow I’ll join the group of LPC people in Hunting Park for the HPCA workday. They’ll probably have me digging the gunk out of the cracks in the stair treads just like I always do. They are wise not to trust me with a paint brush.  Digging gunk is what I can do.

Becky and I will continue to drop what we think we can, and then a little more, into the offering plate on Sunday.  I will trust our elders to decide what to do with what we give.

Sorry, Elder Peter, I am not your person, though I appreciate your thought.  I don’t need your $3.2 million.  I just trying to be faithful with my two talents.

See you Sunday