Scripture:
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
Reflection:
Graham Greene was an English writer and journalist, regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. He was shortlisted in 1966 and1967 for the Nobel Prize for literature and in his 67 years of writing, which included over 25 novels, he would explore the conflicting moral and political issues of the modern world. He was awarded both the Shakespeare Prize and the Jerusalem Prize for literature.
In his early years, Graham Greene earned his living as a headline writer for local and national newspapers in Great Britain. He knew that one catchy headline would sell a paper, and it might even change someone’s life. He dreamed up many quotable quotes, but maybe his most famous was; “There is always one moment in childhood, when the door opens and lets the future in.” The validity of Graham’s statement is something that probably resonates with many, and can be even pin-pointed for some of us.
For the young shepherd boy in Israel named David, this moment came when a prophet showed up at his fathers house looking for a future king. For a young girl named Mary, it came with an encounter with someone called Gabriel. Doors to the future do open and close at various times in our lives. Sometimes, one word or statement can lie dormant for years, but when it germinates, it can change the course of a life.
For me, when I was 17, an evangelist came to our church to dedicate a new building. I remember him saying; “Sometimes God’s will for your life is not a hard thing, but rather it is that one thing that you want to do more than anything else. You just need the faith to believe that He was the one that gave you the dream!” For me, that statement took 3 years to germinate, but when it did, it changed the course in my life and gave me the courage to become a pastor.
Our lives are constantly being intersected by God, we only need the heart and faith to perceive it. Graham Greene quote reminds us to look back and remember those times during our childhood, yet the truth is that God will continue to work in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose in us and through us!
May the doors of your life open and let the future in… once again!
David
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