August 8th

Peter and Cornelius

            On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up; I am only a mortal.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?” Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.  Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.”  Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.  You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.

Acts 10:25-36

            Cornelius is not just “a guy.”  He is a Roman Centurion; a man of great importance and responsibility.  He is more famous than Peter.  He has more education, more money, and more people who report to him.  In almost any room that the two of them entered, Cornelius would be the first recognized and the more honored guest.  And yet…and yet it is Cornelius who asks Peter to enter his home and teach himself, his family and his friends about God.  Peter is not there to amaze the crowd with his fishing stories or to sway them to his political position.  He is there to testify to what he has seen and what he has heard from the Living God.

            God has been preparing Peter for this moment.  He sent Peter dreams over and over again to get his mind and heart ready for this encounter.  It suddenly all clicks for the apostle and he shares his testimony about Jesus and the power of the one true God.  Cornelius and his entire household become Christians and the Holy Spirit sweeps over the Gentiles, blowing away the preconceptions that Peter and the early church had in regards to who could become a child of God.

            Our testimony involves not just ourselves and our relationship with God.  My testimony is a tapestry of how God and His goodness have touched and shaped my life throughout the years.  That involves my parents.  That involves my ministries and my jobs.  That involves my wife.  That especially involves my kids.  God the Father has become real and tangible to me as I have become James the Father.  My story with my son is deeply ingrained into my story with God to the point where they have become inseparable.  The challenges that we face with my son drive me deeper into my relationship with God.  I need wisdom.  I need patience and kindness and hope and the only place that I can find those things are within the arms of my Heavenly Father.

            There have been times when I found myself counseling an individual or a couple with a special needs child.  They may have more money or more power or more esteem in our community but what they lack and what they need are to hear my story…my testimony about how God has walked through autism right alongside my family.

            Similarly, there have been times when I sat in a room and soaked up the wisdom of someone much younger, poorer, or less successful because their story was one that I needed to hear in order to continue on in my journey.  This requires humility.  It requires patience as they may not communicate as efficiently as I would like.  It also requires that I be paying attention, listening for the voice of God to me in every conversation.  We never know when He will be speaking to us.

            You have a unique story…a one-of-a-kind testimony that is still being written.  Your testimony is filled with pieces of how you engage with God and it is saturated with how you engage with your child.  There will be times when God has arranged for your unique story to be the key that unlocks someone’s heart.  It could be as clear and obvious as Peter and Cornelius.  Likely it will be more subtle than that, but potentially no less powerful.  Do not be afraid to share your testimony.  Your story of faith in the midst of challenge is inspirational and powerful and could be the piece of hope that someone needs to keep moving forward.

  

A moment to reflect:

Talk out your testimony to yourself.  Practice it a little bit so that when it is needed, it will be ready.