Our Daily Bread had this story:
A social worker told her colleagues about a young boy in an urban ghetto who appeared to be little more than a bit of twisted human flesh. He had been struck by a car several months before and had not received proper medical attention.
Although not part of her caseload, the social worker took the boy to an orthopedist, who performed surgery on his legs. Two years later the boy walked into her office without crutches. His recovery was complete. The two embraced. The social worker said to herself, “If I accomplish nothing else in my life, I have made a real difference with at least this one!”
She paused, then said to her colleagues, “This was all several years ago now. Where do you think that boy is today?” Some suggested that he might be a school teacher, others a physician or a social worker. With deep emotion, the woman responded, “No, he’s in the penitentiary for one of the foulest crimes a human can commit. I was instrumental in teaching him how to walk again, but there was no one to teach him where to walk.”
What a sobering story this is. We, as a church, need to teach both how to walk as well as where to walk. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight” (NIV). Let’s completely surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit as he directs, empowers, and instructs us.
Have a blessed week!