Finding Your Way
Stories
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Contents
"Finding Your Way" by Peter Andrew Smith
* * * * * * *
Finding Your Way
by Peter Andrew Smith
Luke 1:26-38
Kevin came down the stairs and worked his way over to the man sitting by himself in the bleachers. Dan's attention was fixed on the youngsters practicing their skating on the ice but he noticed his son and waved him over.
"How did you know I was here?"
"It is Saturday morning at dawn, where else would you be?" Kevin scanned the players on the ice until he found the number sixteen. "Is my little sister still dreaming of playing professionally?"
Dan smiled. "Julie is nothing if not persistent."
"I think it comes from being raised in this family." Kevin watched her and the other players running drills. "She looks pretty good."
"She is." Dan patted the bench next to him. "You didn't get out of bed and drive into the city to see her practice though, did you?"
"No." Kevin looked into his father's eyes. "I need to know something."
Dan got a thermos and two mugs out of the bag sitting at his feet. "Shoot."
"How did you know?"
Dan handed a mug to Kevin and filled it with hot coffee. "You're going to have to be more specific."
"How did you know that everything was going to work out when you started doing community advocacy full time or when you moved us across the country to take your current position?" Kevin warmed his hands on his mug.
Dan poured himself a cup. "I didn't."
"Then why did you do those things?"
"They were the right things for me to do." He sipped from his coffee. "What did you learn from your mother and me about how to live?"
"You and Mom taught me to always do what is faithful. You both showed me that being a good person means caring about others, standing firm even when it is unpopular, and always looking to Jesus as a role model while praying constantly in order to know God's will and way."
"That about covers it." Dan took another drink from his mug. "Live faithfully and you'll make the best decisions possible and follow through with them."
Kevin set his coffee on the bench next to him. "But how do you know if you can do the things that God wants? I have been praying and struggling with what I am supposed to do in my life and I wish that God would just tell me what's in store for me."
"Really?" Dan pointed toward the end of the rink. "Like a message on that scoreboard saying 'Kevin, everything will work out fine.' "
Kevin nodded. "That would be nice."
"Think so?" Dan tapped his mug with his finger.
"Sure."
"Fine, then everything will be okay." Dan turned his attention back to the ice surface.
"That's not helpful, Pops."
Dan looked over at his son. "But I really believe that it will be fine."
Kevin frowned. "That isn't helping me."
"Why not?"
Kevin stared at his father for a few moments. "Because I don't feel any better."
"Absolutely. Quite often we think that knowing what God wants is the hardest thing but most of the time it is that easy. It is the following through which really hangs us up." Dan poured some more coffee into his mug. "That is why the only person who can make the decision you are struggling with is you."
Kevin watched the players on the ice for a few moments. "So I have to go it alone?"
"Absolutely not. You have already listed off most of the ways God helps. The Bible, prayer, people around us." Dan took a drink. "God gives us what we need to do the difficult things faith demands."
"So why don't I know that I can do what God wants?"
"Because if you knew and were certain it wouldn't take much faith, would it?"
Kevin thought about that for a moment and nodded. "Have you ever had times like this?"
"I have and if you look through the Bible you'll see that God always asks people to act in faith by trusting." Dan pointed to the Christmas decorations on the doors. "Do you think Mary knew exactly what would happen in her life when the angel Gabriel visited?"
"I guess not."
"It is always frightening and surprising when God asks us to step up and do something incredible in our lives." Dan smiled.
"Why does that make you smile?"
"Because when you have the faith to say yes to God then you are off on one of the most difficult, challenging, and rewarding times of your life." Dan put his arm around his son. "And the world becomes a better place as a result."
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 21, 2014, issue.
Copyright 2014 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Finding Your Way" by Peter Andrew Smith
* * * * * * *
Finding Your Way
by Peter Andrew Smith
Luke 1:26-38
Kevin came down the stairs and worked his way over to the man sitting by himself in the bleachers. Dan's attention was fixed on the youngsters practicing their skating on the ice but he noticed his son and waved him over.
"How did you know I was here?"
"It is Saturday morning at dawn, where else would you be?" Kevin scanned the players on the ice until he found the number sixteen. "Is my little sister still dreaming of playing professionally?"
Dan smiled. "Julie is nothing if not persistent."
"I think it comes from being raised in this family." Kevin watched her and the other players running drills. "She looks pretty good."
"She is." Dan patted the bench next to him. "You didn't get out of bed and drive into the city to see her practice though, did you?"
"No." Kevin looked into his father's eyes. "I need to know something."
Dan got a thermos and two mugs out of the bag sitting at his feet. "Shoot."
"How did you know?"
Dan handed a mug to Kevin and filled it with hot coffee. "You're going to have to be more specific."
"How did you know that everything was going to work out when you started doing community advocacy full time or when you moved us across the country to take your current position?" Kevin warmed his hands on his mug.
Dan poured himself a cup. "I didn't."
"Then why did you do those things?"
"They were the right things for me to do." He sipped from his coffee. "What did you learn from your mother and me about how to live?"
"You and Mom taught me to always do what is faithful. You both showed me that being a good person means caring about others, standing firm even when it is unpopular, and always looking to Jesus as a role model while praying constantly in order to know God's will and way."
"That about covers it." Dan took another drink from his mug. "Live faithfully and you'll make the best decisions possible and follow through with them."
Kevin set his coffee on the bench next to him. "But how do you know if you can do the things that God wants? I have been praying and struggling with what I am supposed to do in my life and I wish that God would just tell me what's in store for me."
"Really?" Dan pointed toward the end of the rink. "Like a message on that scoreboard saying 'Kevin, everything will work out fine.' "
Kevin nodded. "That would be nice."
"Think so?" Dan tapped his mug with his finger.
"Sure."
"Fine, then everything will be okay." Dan turned his attention back to the ice surface.
"That's not helpful, Pops."
Dan looked over at his son. "But I really believe that it will be fine."
Kevin frowned. "That isn't helping me."
"Why not?"
Kevin stared at his father for a few moments. "Because I don't feel any better."
"Absolutely. Quite often we think that knowing what God wants is the hardest thing but most of the time it is that easy. It is the following through which really hangs us up." Dan poured some more coffee into his mug. "That is why the only person who can make the decision you are struggling with is you."
Kevin watched the players on the ice for a few moments. "So I have to go it alone?"
"Absolutely not. You have already listed off most of the ways God helps. The Bible, prayer, people around us." Dan took a drink. "God gives us what we need to do the difficult things faith demands."
"So why don't I know that I can do what God wants?"
"Because if you knew and were certain it wouldn't take much faith, would it?"
Kevin thought about that for a moment and nodded. "Have you ever had times like this?"
"I have and if you look through the Bible you'll see that God always asks people to act in faith by trusting." Dan pointed to the Christmas decorations on the doors. "Do you think Mary knew exactly what would happen in her life when the angel Gabriel visited?"
"I guess not."
"It is always frightening and surprising when God asks us to step up and do something incredible in our lives." Dan smiled.
"Why does that make you smile?"
"Because when you have the faith to say yes to God then you are off on one of the most difficult, challenging, and rewarding times of your life." Dan put his arm around his son. "And the world becomes a better place as a result."
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 21, 2014, issue.
Copyright 2014 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
