Bishop Dick Wills’ Life Journal Entry for February 2, 2008, "WOW"

February 2, 2008
WOW!

S: Acts 9:15 (The Message)
But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews.

O: Three times Luke tells of the conversion of Paul in the Book of Acts (Acts 9; 22; and 26). God is showing us that anyone is capable of conversion.

A: This morning I am aware that sudden and surprising was the conversion of Paul, who was thought of as an enemy. And God chose Paul to be God’s personal representative.

I remember when, serving as a pastor, a woman named Diane who come to our church as a result of our prison ministry. She had been convicted of a white collar crime. She was volatile and still had a very colorful vocabulary. I was so pleased when she started being part of our feeding ministry each Thursday evening in the downtown area of our city. There, 200-300 homeless people would gather for a hot meal.

The very kind and Christian woman who lead this ministry moved away and next I heard Diane had volunteered to lead the feeding ministry of our church. I was surprised and nervous about a person, like Diane, taking leadership in God’s church.

It took a while, with a pastor working with Diane, for Diane to begin to grow into the incredible leadership gifts God had placed into her life. I would have never thought God would ever choose a person like Diane to be a major leader in our church. But this is exactly what God did!

She still leads the feeding ministry and has become one of the very best leaders in that local church. The homeless people found, in Diane, the presence of Jesus every Thursday evening as they came for a hot meal. She had been much like Saul and Jesus changed her life.

All of this tells me about the people I expect nothing but the worst. If Jesus can touch the life of Paul, Diane, and myself, then Jesus can use my worst enemy as His personal representative. Wow!

P: Father give me eyes to see what can be and will be by trusting Your presence in the lives of people considered today as enemies. Love, Dick

Y: I will not judge who can be used by God for the work of Jesus in the world.