Last month, I posted a
blog titled “Twenty Years Without a Word” where I chronicled my search for a
long lost friend. This blog is an update.
There was no defining
moment when my friend and I decided to walk separate paths, he as a Roman
Catholic priest and I as a Protestant Evangelical. I take full responsibility
for the lapse in contact. I can only speak from my viewpoint. Life just happened.
There were kids,
grandkids, schooling, marriages, supporting a family while the thought of
others, that we normally contact infrequently, slips further away from our
daily life. Suddenly it’s twenty years later with no contact, and you begin to
wonder Is he still alive? Worse is
the blame that overcomes us because we carry the full burden of failure. That’s
not supposed to happen between true friends and those who have had an impact on
one’s life.
As my earlier blog
pointed out, I found my friend in a nursing facility in New Jersey run by the
Little Sisters of the Poor. My friend is anti-technology and no longer owns his
ancient typewriter. Communication is difficult, but when we did connect by
phone. It was great and emotional. The conversation felt like we picked up
where we had left off twenty years ago.
A few days later I
received a Facebook posting from a young man I consider a miracle because God
transformed his life in a powerful way. Today he serves in a church in New
Jersey. His posting said “Thank you for all that you poured into me!” I was
touched by his remembrance.
I take no credit for
his life transformation. The Lord receives all the glory for how his life
turned out. The young man made right choices, and I just stood alongside of him
like a cheerleader. His “Thank You” was a powerful reminder of encouragement to
continue fighting the battles that try to destroy people’s lives.
All this brought me
back to my priest friend. I set upon a mission … contact people who may have
been blessed by my friend’s ministry. It needed more than a trickle of
encouragement; I wanted the experience to feel like a river!
Our son in New Jersey
went to visit my friend. I called and texted people who knew him and suggested
they drop him a card for Christmas, make a phone call or visit if they could.
Galatians 6:9 reminds
us: Let us not become weary in doing
good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Those who labor for the
Lord sometimes face discouragement and weariness and do not see results of
their hard labor. Take this Christmas season to encourage a pastor or a
ministry leader in whatever way you feel comfortable. There is no right or
wrong way. At a minimum, we can pray a river of encouragement would flow into
their lives!
Merry Christmas
Robert Parlante
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