From my book No Ordinary Mana meditation exploring the call of Timothy, and what this has to teach us about the ways in which God might call us.
Read
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my beloved child: grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God – whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did – when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.
For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline . . . These are the things you must insist on and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. 2 Timothy 1:1-7; 1 Timothy 4:11-16
The meditation of Timothy
I was only a boy,
a mere slip of a lad compared to most of them,
and I really wondered what use I could be.
My heart was willing,
positively bursting to get involved.
My faith was strong,
bubbling up like a mountain spring from deep within,
but I wondered whether anyone would accept me
and whether I had any right to expect them to.
They had more experience of life after all,
a store of wisdom accumulated over the years;
so why should they listen to someone half their age
just because he believed God had called him?
Yet though a few balked at the idea,
most had no objections.
They treated me with kindness,
friendship,
genuine respect;
and if occasionally I went too far,
carried away by youthful exuberance,
they responded patiently,
more than willing to make allowances.
None more so than Paul,
my dear friend Paul.
How much I owe that man!
How much he changed my life!
Guiding me and helping me along the way of Christ.
And yet, though I’ve often tried to thank him,
he’s always shrugged it off,
saying it’s not him but Jesus I ought to thank.
Jesus who valued young and old,
Jesus who welcomed little children,
Jesus who’s chosen me.
I’ve held on to that,
day by day,
year by year,
and now suddenly it is I who am old,
receiving from those who are young,
I who have to recognise that God can work through all.
It’s hard to accept that sometimes,
even for me,
until I look back,
and remember those days long ago.
For I realise then, once again, that if Christ could use me
he can use anyone!
Prayer
Loving God,
we talk about all people having a place in your kingdom,
but do we really believe it?
So often the reality is different.
We pigeon-hole people according to the colour of their skin,
their religion, their age, their sex.
We have preconceived ideas about what is acceptable and unacceptable,
and we write off anyone who does not conform to our ideas.
Help us to see people as you see them
and to truly recognise that everyone, rather than the few like us,
matters to you.
Amen.