Sunday, September 7, 2003
Sunday, September 7, 2003
So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the
gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
One of the most beautiful speaking voices on stage and screen today is that of James Earl
Jones. Did you know that Jones has long battled a severe stuttering problem? From age 9 until
his mid-teens he had to communicate with teachers and classmates by handwritten notes. A
high school English teacher gave him the help he needed, but he still struggles with his problem
to this day. Yet there is no finer speaking voice than his. He was listed recently among the ten
actors with the most beautiful speaking voice. We can do that, too. We can allow our challenges
to increase our determination to be faithful servants of God.
(1 Thessalonians 2.8
NRSV)
We are told that Winston Churchill had such a congenital lisp and stutter that doctors advised
him against entering any occupation in which speaking was an important part. Yet he became
the most influential speaker of our century.
Loving God, there are many challenges to life. And it is easy for me to get distracted, but help me
to be determined in my walk with you. Amen.
