10-25-24-DAILY READING-ENG.

EXPERIENCING THE SPIRIT

                                LAUGHED AT BY THE SPIRIT

A few years ago, I (Mel) experienced a weekend that was very unusual. The strangeness began when I received a call on my cell phone on Saturday morning. Because of an emergency situation, my dad needed me to cover for him and speak at a major pastors’ conference in New York on Monday. This phone conversation distracted me from what I was doing at the time, and I accidentally filled my diesel pickup truck with gasoline. Not good. I realized my blunder immediately, so I walked to a nearby store and bought them out of gas cans. The sight of me siphoning gas out of the truck must have been suspicious to everyone driving by. But that wasn't the end of the strangeness. After preaching in our church on Sunday morning, I rushed to the airport. The plan was to spend the night in Chicago, then fly on to New York the next morning. Once I got to Chicago, it took me forever to find the hotel because of airport construction. I finally arrived there—late, tired, and hungry. Since going to the conference had been a last-minute decision for me, I hadn't yet prepared what I would speak about. I decided to get a little study time before turning in. That's when I realized I'd forgotten my Bible.

Here I was going to a pastors’ conference to speak, and I didn't even have a Bible. I considered stealing the Gideon Bible from the hotel room and making a donation, but I didn't think God could honor a sermon preached from a stolen Bible. Since I had an early flight the next morning, I decided to get to bed. That's when I discovered I'd also forgotten to bring my electric razor. That may not sound like a big deal, but if you use an electric razor, you understand my problem. My skin wasn't prepared for the free plastic razor the hotel supplied. Talk about being “washed in the blood”! My face the next morning was covered with razor nicks. Desperately trying to stop the bleeding, I left the hotel with little pieces of tissue on my face. Eventually I arrived in New York to speak to the pastors at the meeting. I was told ahead of time that I would also be allowed to attend a special luncheon meeting the following day for ambassadors to the United Nations, and the man in charge would meet me that evening after the pastors’ conference concluded. He did so, and he said to me, “While you were preaching tonight, the Lord told me that you're to speak to the ambassadors tomorrow at the United Nations.” He added, “You'll have forty-five minutes to speak. This will be the largest gathering of ambassadors we've had at such an event, and many are from Muslim countries and aren't Christians.

You can speak freely about your faith and talk about the Scripture, but protocol requires that you do not read from the Bible.” Well, that at least was no issue for me, since I'd forgotten my Bible! I obviously hadn't prepared to speak to the UN ambassadors, and it seemed like there was no time in the schedule to get ready. I was too exhausted that night and fell asleep. The morning began with an early breakfast, a train ride into Grand Central Station, a walk through pouring rain to an office building one block from the UN headquarters, and one hour to study before going to the meeting. At the United Nations, we went through the security-check process to enter the building, then further security checks to access a floor reserved for ambassadors. We entered a fancy dining room where a string quartet was playing, and I immediately began to meet others who were coming in the door. The first man I met was the head of the General Assembly, who said, “I'm looking forward to this lunch. We've been talking all morning about antiterrorism, and it will be nice to sit back and listen to what you have to say.” I thought to myself, What am I going to say? I'm curious to hear as well! We sat down for lunch, eight to a table. I was tired, nervous, and felt way out of place. When I looked down at the food being served, I had no idea what it was. I was so edgy that I flipped a large leaf of lettuce onto my lap. I was trying to look calm, cool, and collected, but mentally I was a mess. What am I doing here? I asked myself. Why did I agree to this? The only reason I'm here is that Dad couldn't come. Then it happened. I think the Holy Spirit within me started to laugh. Have you ever been laughed at by the Holy Spirit? I sensed Him saying, Do you still think this is about you? You can't even shave! You're from a small church in a small town in Canada, and nobody here even knows you. Then He said, The only reason you're speaking at the United Nations is because I put you here.

Then came this verse: “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11—12). I also remembered the e-mail sent to me that morning from the men in my church, who wanted me to know they were praying for me. Immediately an overwhelming peace covered me. When I got up to speak, it was as if I stood back and listened to myself The leader later told me he couldn't remember the group being so engaged by a speaker. The Lord wanted to do something with those ambassadors that day, and He chose to do it through my life. I remember thinking as I flew home from that trip, With God, nothing is impossible. Why do I tell you that story? I want you to know that if God can use a simple person like me to do His will, He can use anybody.