Years ago, when we were living in Burundi, a friend came to work with us. She was a head teacher who helped homeschool our young children after schools closed during the war. We became fast friends and often held Scrabble© tournaments after church on Sundays while everyone else took their afternoon naps.
Looking back, I see what a privilege it was to walk with someone at the beginning of her journey into overseas missions. My friend lived with us for a year, learning the ropes. She attended language school, helped school our children, and did whatever she could to make life easier for our family.
Eventually, it was time for her to move into her own home. It takes real courage to live alone as a single woman in a foreign country, and I respected her all the more for it.
Because of the delicate security situation, a house near us was found. Since we didn’t have cellphones back then, we kept long-range walkie-talkies on standby for communication in case phone lines were cut.
Back then, it wasn’t unusual to hear gunfire, which we grimly called “music.” We had learned to judge how far away it was, and after living with us so long, we assumed our friend could too.
One night, the “music” echoed again in the distance. Certain it was far off, we turned off the walkie-talkies and went to sleep.
The next morning, I went to her house and found her red-eyed and anxious. She was unnerved by the previous night’s musical presentation and couldn’t reach us. After profuse apologies, a cup of coffee, and finally laughter, I left.
I understood I needed to keep walking with her for a time.
From Scrabble to an encourager
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He sent His disciples on a curious errand. He told them to go to a village and bring him a colt.
”…Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.”
Matthew 21:2 (NASB)
All the Gospels record the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a colt. But why did Jesus say to bring the donkey with? I wonder if it isn’t because this colt hadn’t been ridden and needed an encourager to walk with him along the way.
There are colts assigned to us along the way, people we need to walk alongside for a season. They will carry Jesus’ message, and we, instead of being front and center, will be called to walk alongside and be their Barnabus (see Acts 11:23-24). Encouraging them to carry the message.
It’s not an easy task to be the encourager. But without that one to walk alongside, who will help them learn to carry the message? Even the Apostle Paul needed his encourager, a man named Ananias (see Acts 9:9-18), who walked with him after his conversion.
If it weren’t for the donkey, Barnabus, and Ananias, things would have unfolded differently. Thank God for them! Be an encourager for someone today. They’re carrying a message only they can carry. What a privilege to help them on their way.
