FAITHFUL TO HIS CALL
As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a grave
side service for a derelict man who had died while traveling through
the area with no family or friends. The funeral was held way back in
the
country. This man would be the first to be laid to rest at this
cemetery.
I was not familiar with the backwoods area, and I became lost. Being
the typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an
hour
late. I saw the crew and backhoe, but the hearse was no where in sight.
The workmen were eating lunch.
I apologized to the workers for my tardiness (they looked puzzled at my
admission). I stepped to the side of the open grave, to find the vault
lid already in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them long,
but this was the proper thing to do.
As the workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I poured out
my heart and soul. As I preached the workers began to say "Amen! and
Praise the Lord." I felt a greater anointing, so I preached, and I
preached, like I'd never preached before. I began from Genesis and kept
on going, preaching for almost two hours. Then I closed in prayer and
it was
finished.
As I was walking to my car, I felt that I had done my duty and would
leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication, in spite of my
tardiness. I opened the door of my car and took off my coat. Then I
overheard one of
the workers saying to another, "I've been putting in septic tanks for
20
years, and I ain't never seen anything like this before!"
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