Audience of One--and maybe just one more

My husband and I drove the 104 miles past seemingly endless fields. We drove by shelterbelts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelter_belt) and farmsteads, and passed through occasional small towns. Eventually we reached our destination: one of the country churches that was loosely affiliated with the camp where we served.

This church had a new pastor whose wife Sheryl (name changed) was anxious to be a blessing to their congregation. She had arranged a special women’s event and asked me to share the message. We wanted to get to know this couple and congregation anyway, so my husband and I agreed to make the trip and spend the night in the pastor’s home.

Not too long after our arrival, Sheryl mentioned a bit disappointedly that she had heard a lot of the women weren’t going to be able to make it for one reason or another. “I feel bad you drove all this way,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said sincerely. “I’ve never been one to place too much emphasis on numbers.”

When the time for the actual event came, Sheryl and I arrived at an almost-empty church. I could tell she was even more disappointed.

One lovely young mom met us inside. She and Sheryl chatted a bit, and the young mom shared about even more last-minute cancellations. The three of us sat down at a table together and continued to get to know each other.

Sheryl looked at her watch and said, “Well, Stephanie, I’m really sorry about this. I can’t imagine you’d still want to share with us. It looks like it’s just the three of us.”

I chuckled and said, “Well, we’re here, aren’t we? I might as well. It will just be more of a conversation among friends.”

So I shared the message I had prepared in a way that seemed to fit. And we had a nice time together.

Months later, Sheryl showed up at camp for an event. She caught me for a moment of conversation while I was working in the camp store. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” she said. “Remember when you came to our church and only one mom showed up for our event?”

Of course I remembered.

“Well, your message had a really big impact on the one in attendance,” Sheryl shared. “We have talked about it several times. It’s really making a big difference in her life, and God is using her to influence others in her family and in our congregation.”

You see, I had shared about forgiveness. Little did I know that bitterness was a real stronghold in the community, church and even extended family represented by my one listener that day.

So God had sent a young couple from a rural Bible camp over 100 miles to address that issue with truth, testimony and hope. And He had sent a willing listener to be a recipient of the message. And now He was using her to model and spread the goodness found in forgiveness.

I marveled at the beauty in it. I marveled at God’s plan.  

Everything I do is before God, and He is the only One I need to please. This incident in our early ministry affirmed the truth to me that my audience is One.

And in that specific case and in that little country church, the audience happened to include just one more.

“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” - Galatians 1:10