God Will Be With Us
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series III, Cycle C
Cindy was on the brink of despair. Her hours at work were getting longer and longer. Her husband had moved out two years earlier, leaving her with a mountain of bills. She felt there was no hope.
Her children were young teenagers but they were very helpful to Cindy. Her son, Mark, worked at a bakery delivering sandwiches after school. The baker gave him loaves of bread, pastries, and muffins that were not sold during the day. Gwen, who was only ten, already was very adept at making dinner and cleaning up the house. Cindy told her time and time again how helpful it was to come home after being on her feet all day.
Cindy was tempted to feel sorry for herself, but she looked at the positive, the many blessings in her life. Her faith journey had taught her to believe in God's wonderful love and care for her. Life wasn't guaranteed to be easy, but she knew she didn't have to live by bread alone. With God's help, she knew she would be able to survive.
Tom lived for money. Daily he instructed his stock broker to trade, buy, and sell. He was obsessed by his money -- until one of his stocks took a huge dive and Tom lost several hundred thousand dollars.
Tom took a hard, long look at his life when his wife left him soon after. She was tired of talk of money: she wanted a companion, a husband, a friend -- not a machine constantly spitting out numbers, equations, and formulas. She had had it and Tom took it very hard.
He knew something had to change, and the more he got involved with his service group and church, the more he saw how money had truly been his idol. He had worshiped money, wealth, and the supposed prestige it might give him. It hadn't been worth it.
With the help of his pastor and many strong Christian friends to support him, Tom was able to focus on his management and investment skills to help the church get out of debt. He helped start a non-profit organization to help welfare recipients get scholarships and daycare. Tom learned that faith in God and faithfulness to God were more important than financial gain. God had seen him through a trying time, and Tom was determined to use his wealth and talents for others.
Lee had cancer. Daily he would beg God to take the cancer away and make him whole. He refused visitors, he wouldn't eat, and he didn't want any pain medication. He knew God would take away his cancer, even though it had spread to his liver.
Lee had no peace. He was lonely and getting physically weaker. He had an IV which gave him calories and medicine; still, he was miserable. His doctor said he was depressed and talked to the chaplain.
Lee refused to see the chaplain. He was in the hospital for four days and all he did was pray: he prayed for instant healing and a release from pain. He read his Bible constantly, looking for verses that would guarantee a miracle. He bartered with God, promising him servitude in exchange for a cure. He would put God to the test.
Lee didn't talk to anyone except to answer the brief questions the doctors and nurses asked him. With time, the Bible verses were the only thing that spoke to him. And with time, he realized that it wasn't in God's plan for him to be healed of his cancer. Lee faced the fact that he was dying and in that realization he saw that although he had closed the door -- literally -- to the outside world, God had not abandoned him. God was with him through this difficult time.
When his breathing was getting difficult and the doctor had told him he was dying, Lee agreed to see the chaplain. He expressed his regret that his life was over. But he also shared the feeling that God was with him on this journey through death. He had finally found peace.
Her children were young teenagers but they were very helpful to Cindy. Her son, Mark, worked at a bakery delivering sandwiches after school. The baker gave him loaves of bread, pastries, and muffins that were not sold during the day. Gwen, who was only ten, already was very adept at making dinner and cleaning up the house. Cindy told her time and time again how helpful it was to come home after being on her feet all day.
Cindy was tempted to feel sorry for herself, but she looked at the positive, the many blessings in her life. Her faith journey had taught her to believe in God's wonderful love and care for her. Life wasn't guaranteed to be easy, but she knew she didn't have to live by bread alone. With God's help, she knew she would be able to survive.
Tom lived for money. Daily he instructed his stock broker to trade, buy, and sell. He was obsessed by his money -- until one of his stocks took a huge dive and Tom lost several hundred thousand dollars.
Tom took a hard, long look at his life when his wife left him soon after. She was tired of talk of money: she wanted a companion, a husband, a friend -- not a machine constantly spitting out numbers, equations, and formulas. She had had it and Tom took it very hard.
He knew something had to change, and the more he got involved with his service group and church, the more he saw how money had truly been his idol. He had worshiped money, wealth, and the supposed prestige it might give him. It hadn't been worth it.
With the help of his pastor and many strong Christian friends to support him, Tom was able to focus on his management and investment skills to help the church get out of debt. He helped start a non-profit organization to help welfare recipients get scholarships and daycare. Tom learned that faith in God and faithfulness to God were more important than financial gain. God had seen him through a trying time, and Tom was determined to use his wealth and talents for others.
Lee had cancer. Daily he would beg God to take the cancer away and make him whole. He refused visitors, he wouldn't eat, and he didn't want any pain medication. He knew God would take away his cancer, even though it had spread to his liver.
Lee had no peace. He was lonely and getting physically weaker. He had an IV which gave him calories and medicine; still, he was miserable. His doctor said he was depressed and talked to the chaplain.
Lee refused to see the chaplain. He was in the hospital for four days and all he did was pray: he prayed for instant healing and a release from pain. He read his Bible constantly, looking for verses that would guarantee a miracle. He bartered with God, promising him servitude in exchange for a cure. He would put God to the test.
Lee didn't talk to anyone except to answer the brief questions the doctors and nurses asked him. With time, the Bible verses were the only thing that spoke to him. And with time, he realized that it wasn't in God's plan for him to be healed of his cancer. Lee faced the fact that he was dying and in that realization he saw that although he had closed the door -- literally -- to the outside world, God had not abandoned him. God was with him through this difficult time.
When his breathing was getting difficult and the doctor had told him he was dying, Lee agreed to see the chaplain. He expressed his regret that his life was over. But he also shared the feeling that God was with him on this journey through death. He had finally found peace.
