THE DAY I WAS GLAD I SAID SOMETHING
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Proverbs 25:11
Everyone has had foot-in-mouth disease at one time or another. But I actually remember a time when I said the right thing at the right time. I had just moved to my second church and had started a Bible study in a nursing home. After several meetings, a man in a wheelchair began attending. He always rolled into the back of the chapel and never said much, until one day when he stayed until after all the others left. He asked about being in heaven, and I had the joy of leading him to Christ.
Two months later, I noticed that my new brother-in-Christ was not there. After the study, I asked the secretary about him. “Oh, I’m sorry you didn’t know,” she said. “He passed away last week. In fact, they are having his funeral service at the cemetery right now.”
I hurried to the cemetery and saw the large group around the casket. The service was done except for a time of personal expressions from the family. “Does anyone else want to say something?” the pastor asked. The Lord nudged me to speak up, though I knew nobody there. “I’m Pastor Troxel,” I said, “and had the privilege of praying with __________ to receive Christ as his Savior just two months ago. It was a real blessing to hear him receive the Lord!”
Just then a young lady turned her head away and began to cry. The pastor dismissed the group with a prayer, and I felt I should crawl into the hole with the casket. But before I could get back to my car, that young lady came up to me and said, “Pastor, I can’t thank you enough for that testimony. He was a dear uncle of mine and I loved him. I had no idea that he had ever had anything to do with the Lord!” I had never felt so glad to have said something and just in time.
With all that James warns about concerning the tongue, it’s comforting to know that occasionally it behaves well. Never be afraid to speak up for the Lord.
Davy L. Troxel