REFLECTIONS
July 17, 2005
 
 
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
 
 
How God Works
A Letter to Phillip Scott
 
Dear Phillip,
            Assignments to write essays of a prescribed length are very common English assignments, and I’m sure you thought you were only satisfying such a requirement when you wrote your essay. But God had a bigger idea. By using our daily activities, God produces amazing results beyond our ability to understand. His work is very efficient and seldom does it serve but one purpose.
            Throughout the Bible there are many examples of multi purpose messages. One of the common ones is the parable of the Prodigal Son. This well known story that Jesus told is most often interpreted from the perspective of the selfish son that mismanaged his inheritance and his life; but it also has lessons from the point of view of the angry son that obediently stayed home, and from the point of view of a distraught father welcoming his lost son back home. The story touches many more circumstances than just the one about a greedy and rebellious young man.
            So it is with your essay. You intended it to meet a classroom assignment, but your teacher was so impressed with it that she shared it with other faculty. Then it fell into my hands and you allowed me to share it with others through Reflections. From there it has reached people we don’t even know as evidenced by the following email.
Hey Richard,
 I really enjoyed last weeks Reflections, the one that your grandson wrote.  I have shared the part he wrote with my employees during their morning meeting. 
            See what I mean? With no intent on your part at all, look at all the people that were influenced with your message. That’s how God works. He works through the small and simple things in ways we don’t expect. Your essay revealed to me that you had learned a simple life lesson from a round of golf. The lesson you learned has now been shared through your essay with hundreds of others, and it has been an influence far beyond our ability to see. It is but another illustration of what Jesus was talking about when He said, “You are the light of the world.” 
Even the small things we do make a big difference. Keep up the good work.
 
Granddaddy Ì


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