Filed under: 29466
As most of you know, there isn’t one piece of mail that doesn’t come across my desk that I don’t see. A long time ago, when my public life was just beginning here in America, I sat with a well known worship leader and I will never forget his words – words that are one of my cornerstones in terms of my professional life to this day. He said, “Bruce, whatever you do, don’t let anyone come between you and the people. Don’t ever forget, it’s all about those people – about the Lord and about his people.”
It was a comment that came on the heels of a discussion about how often that which carries the appearance of ministry is more business in actuality and practice, with the involvement of business managers, publicists, agents, etc. (Show me where all that is in the Scriptures – yikes!).
All to say, I read everything. Yes, some things are a little “out there,” and occasionally I receive something that is much too long to read every word (just last week I received a letter that was 49 pages – hand written!). One has to discern and be a good steward of his time – especially when time has become such a rare thing for me. But for all practical purposes, nothing gets by me. Amen!
Over the years I have received SO many deeply touching letters, cards, emails… most of them testimonies to the workings of God in people’s lives. I have said it many times, it is those testimonies that keep me going in this pursuit that so often boils down to one sacrifice after the other, glory to Jesus!
People also send me their stories, and also encouragement – which I so appreciate. And then every once in a while I receive something that carries such a precious spirit of humility, grace, simple obedience, quiet and private pursuit of the heart of God… You know, there are a lot of people who receive all sorts of accolades for their Christianity – and then there are the “real” people, who just go about the business of living daily life in Christ. “The sparrow,” as Jesus phrased it – “[The Father's] eye is on the sparrow.” To read a letter from such a heart always touches me very deeply.
Well, I came across a letter today that I actually received a week or two weeks ago and only now got around to looking at it. It’s written on yellow legal pad paper, and it included a plastic bag full of change (for John) – $1.30 to be exact.
I assumed it was from a child because I often receive little envelopes with change or a couple dollars from kids – and that is so very beautiful. But the letter and the change wasn’t from a kiddie. And as I began to read, it was everything in me to restrain tears as I was taken back to “what it’s all about,” by the humble preciousness of a humble saint – who represents so many of you who so humbly and graciously support and pray.
With the hope of returning all of us to that heart place where we all need to be – with the hope of taking us all back to that “what it’s all about”…
Dear Bruce,
I must admit this seems odd for me to send a baggie of change – but there’s a story behind these coins. A year or so ago, I heard Dr. Jack Hayford preach a sermon he called, “The Parable of the Pennies.” Basically, he said he began to find pennies in the strangest places – some were in the open but overlooked and ignored. Others were found in the shadows, hidden and forgotten. Some came from dirty places and were covered with dirt; others had been run over and were bent, scratched, faded…
Through his message he shared that the Lord showed him that those pennies are like souls. Each lost, useless and worthless in people’s eyes, not “living” the purpose for which they were designed and created. Each had value, etc., and yet the whole world just passed them by, stepping on them, looking at them and deciding not to bother with them, even throwing them out…
I’ve never forgotten that message, and since hearing it I seem to find change everywhere. In the past I would always walk by it, but since that message, whenever I see a penny on the ground or wherever, I pick it up and pray for the soul that it represents. (Perhaps my prayers carry more weight when it’s a dime or a nickel!).
So this bag is a collection of all found coins. You will see that many are in bad shape. Some you even can’t recognize that it was a penny. But each coin has caused me to stop and pray for the lost. Since this is what John is all about, I’m sending them to you. It’s a small offering, I know, but I plant it in “good soil”…
What can I say, except a penny on the ground, no matter how soiled, how defaced, how seemingly worthless… will never look the same to me. I hope that I will never walk by one ever again, without such precious, precious, God-birthed understanding. And I would hope further that you would share that hope with me.
Glory to Jesus…
