Under My Nose

May 12, 2020

It’s the classic Hallmark Christmas Special plot. The characters change, and the location, but the story line is always the same. City girl somehow lands in a small, quaint country village where she meets a handsome hunk who falls in love with her. The only problem is the urban dolt she’s engaged to. She is attracted to the hunky guy, who is being chased by a vicious siren who manages to get her claws into Mr. Hunk. City girl is hurt, and goes back to Urban Dolt, but in the nick of time, City girl and Country Hunky see the light and ditch their respective mismatches and kiss as the snowflakes fall gently to the earth. Roles could be reversed, as the need arises.

Life sometimes actually mimics a Hallmark movie. The answer we seek lies right under our noses, so close that we can’t see it. Everyone watching sees it and is pointing at our noses, shouting, “Look right there, stupid!” But being thick-headed and dense, we muddle about till those around us are completely frustrated at our total imbecility. 

I felt like that yesterday. While working on one of my chair projects, I had scrolled through Facebook and found a pastor friend who was giving one of his daily devotionals online. I didn’t know he had been doing this, and as he had just started, I tagged in to let him know I was watching. He was singing hymns and Gospel songs by request. Like me, he isn’t a trained musician, but was giving it the good old college try, followed by a Scripture lesson and devotional. He ended with the Lord’s Prayer, and bid everyone goodbye. 

Over the last two months, I’ve tuned in to our pastor Joe and assistant Brandon as they’ve posted daily devotionals. Watching from the sidelines as they’ve engaged in ministry, I’ve felt at loose ends, wishing I could be doing something for the Lord, giving witness and helping out ... anything that would have more significance than yard work or caning chairs. I’ve appreciated not being constantly on the run, but it has felt as if my life has shriveled into this shell of what it has been for fifty years.

I don’t remember anything my pastor friend said yesterday, but God spoke to me through him. If he can sing a few songs, read Scripture, say a few words, and pray, so can I. Ministry opportunity has been lying there right under my nose, unnoticed because I was looking at things others were doing that I cannot do right now. 

Years ago, Linda gave me some of the best advice I have ever received. I had planned a special evening together, but it got interrupted, and I was bummed out. “Don’t let what you can’t have spoil what you can have,” were her words to me. The interruption wasn’t the problem; my attitude was the problem. I am not pastoring a church right now; there are many things I can’t do because of the restrictions imposed upon us. I’ve been letting what I can’t do keep me from what I can. So I need to get busy, studying, organizing, and putting together an online ministry. Like my pastor friend’s daily devotional, it doesn’t have to be polished or perfect. It just needs to be present. I am thankful tonight for my friend, whose willingness to do what he could was God’s instrument to help me do the same. The answer was right under my nose, but it took someone else to point it out to me.