From My Heart…
Remember, consider, and imitate their faith
By Byron Garmo, President
In September we received an announcement from Harderwijk, Netherlands, that Brother Andrew, “God’s Smuggler,” went to be with the Lord.
I’ve had several brief interactions with Brother Andrew over the past 20 years, including the opportunity to sit with him for a luncheon. His books were great, yet his life spoke volumes. He oozed passion to share about Jesus with those who had limited access to God’s word. His early ministry years were marked by his zeal to bring (smuggle) God’s word into communist countries. His work shifted eventually to the Muslim world. Yet wherever he went, Brother Andrew’s passion was singular: Share Jesus.
“The Bible is full of ordinary people who went to impossible places and did wondrous things simply because they decided to follow Jesus.” (Brother Andrew, Open Doors)
Also quite recently, and just as significant, one of our Mission to Children family members went to be with the Lord: The beloved Pearl Anderson. Her energy and love for her church and Mission to Children were infectious. Pearl was the wife of the late Harlan Anderson, a past board member whose steadfastness and determination were beyond measure. Though Harlan’s service to the ministry was in a past decade, I’ll never forget the day he arrived late to a Mission to Children board meeting after having been in a car accident earlier that same morning. I recall wondering, “How in the world did you still show up to a 4-hour meeting in another city after a car accident?” When someone asked him that very question, Harlan humbly shrugged as if to say, “I committed to this meeting, so I found a way to get here.”
Hebrews 13:7 says, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” Paul’s letter was not written directly to us—but it was written for our benefit as believers. God puts people in our lives for a purpose.
So, ask yourself: “Who are the people whom God has used to encourage me, to build me up in the faith, and to challenge me to follow Christ?” Take time to think about those people and then thank God for them. There are pieces of their lives, their character, and their faith that God will use to sustain you.
Keep looking up and reaching out.
