Catch the Vision The Rest of the Story


by Jerry Robinson


I hesitated to accept an invitation to speak at a men’s outreach barbecue. Public presentations to adults are outside my comfort zone — especially when dyslexia makes reading notes a challenge. But then, maybe this was a “God-assignment.” I reluctantly agreed to do it, and then spent lots of time praying and preparing, writing and rewriting my notes. A couple of weeks before the barbecue, a nasty head cold leſt


me struggling to communicate without coughing fits. Te day before we were to drive to the event, my son-in-law phoned to ask if we could help out that weekend as he had to be gone, and our daughter was struggling with some issues with her new baby. Was God releasing me from my pending commitment? Or was Satan trying to deter me from sharing what God had given me? We went to the barbecue, trusting God to help me. But the


event was challenging. For starters, one man had neglected to phone his list of men to invite them to the barbecue, so atten- dance was about two-thirds of what they had hoped for. On the way, our host talked a bit about Phil, a man they had been trying to help. Phil was there, and we chatted a bit. Ten, aſter a great meal, I was on. My theme was “What Is the Meaning of Life?” Te introduc-


tion went okay, but aſter that, I struggled. I kept getting lost in my notes; had problems telling my stories; found the wrap-up difficult; and generally felt like I had bombed! Why, aſter all the prayer and preparation, was it so hard? For sure I never wanted to accept another speaking engagement for the rest of my life! Aſterwards, only one man talked to me. It was Phil! And he said, “I really needed that!”


A few days later, I visited an older couple here in Calgary. As


we told them about our weekend ministry trip, they asked if we had happened to run into their daughter’s father-in-law. Tey explained how he had lots of struggles, and they have really been praying for him. I had no idea who he was, but the more they shared, the more the pieces fell into place. You guessed it — it was Phil! What a coincidence! Or was it? I was able to call him to see how things were going. I visited


and prayed with him over the phone. Since then, we have chatted a couple more times. Phil said he’d like to get together if I was up his way, so I arranged my schedule, and we had a great visit. I asked him if he would die that night, would he know for sure he would go to heaven? His reply led me to share the simple plan of salvation, using the “Wordless Book.” He said it answered a lot of questions for him. Who knows the rest of the story? But God obviously wanted to speak to Phil! And, yes, I’ll still resist accepting the next speaking invita-


tion, but servants don’t really have a choice. And God says, “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful,” not amazing or impressive.


Jerry Robinson has been a missionary and worked in a variety of children and youth ministries for 48 years. Jerry and Connie make their home in Calgary, Alta. Tey currently serve with Global Outreach Mission Inc., mentoring, mobilizing, and doing people ministry in Western Canada, and also helping facilitate projects in Costa Rica, Belize, and Jamaica.


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