Mark
I want to tell you about my friend Mark, may he rest in peace with Jesus. But before I do that, I need to confess my faith walk struggles.
As a mathematician, I hoped my faith walk would be an exponential growth curve - you know one of those curves that rapidly increases and then plateaus close to the ultimate value. If not exponential growth, I at least hoped for linear growth where I’d have a slow steady increase in my faith walk. My experience has been like neither of those curves. More like a sine wave - up and down and hopefully with some long-term trending up.
When we moved here over 20 years ago, I was near a low point in my faith walk. The company I worked for bought a table at the Topeka Prayer Breakfast and I volunteered to go. This breakfast is put on by the Christian Businessmen Association (or something like that), and churches and businesses and politicians buy tables to come and listen to an inspirational speaker. That year, the speaker was some athlete (I don’t remember his name). Anyway, I was touched by his message and after the prayer, the attendees were invited to fill out a contact card, which I did.
Soon Mark called me up and I met him to chat. He asked me what I believed and what obstacles I saw. I remember telling him I had a concern with the concept of predestination (I’ve since realized that my real roadblock was not being able to fully accept God’s sovereignty). His answer, at the time, was profound in that he asked me if any answer might change my faith. I had to admit it would not and this allowed me to get beyond that roadblock.
Soon, I attended his men’s group and eventually (he lived in Lawrence), I took it over. My faith walk started improving again. Unfortunately, Mark was diagnosed with cancer and eventually succumbed to his illness.
“And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” - Luke 11:5-10 ESV
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.” - Proverbs 27:6, 10
“So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” - Philemon 1:17-20
Never underestimate the seeds you plant. You may never seen the impact but that doesn’t mean that those seeds don’t sprout and grow.
