Standard Bearers

"This salad isn't any good," I remarked while eating lunch out.  I had eaten a few bites of the leafy lettuce, spinach, and other greens off the top, but underneath, the leaves were brown-edged, pale and tasted old.  I told my husband I was going to take it back.

"Well, don't say that it wasn't any good!" he implored, to which I asked, "What shall I say, then?" My ever-polite spouse said, "Tell them, 'This salad isn't up to your standards.'" So that is what I did. When the manager was called, I repeated, "This salad isn't up to your standards." They were polite and offered me another salad or refund, but I chose dessert for us both instead!

On another day at a restaurant, after getting Howard seated, I ordered our food and gave Howard's name.  "How is he doing?" the cashier asked.  I was able to tell him he was doing better.  On a previous occasion in answer to that question, I had to report things were going slowly. He later came to our table to chat.  I really didn't think he knew us that well, but he surprised us by telling Howard, "You are on our prayer chain." I wasn't sure I heard him right and asked what he said. He repeated, "You are on our prayer chain at our church."  Wow!  I had no idea! What a blessing from almost a complete stranger!

When our grandson was desperately ill in the hospital recently, their church in Austin organized a conference call prayer chain!  We followed the instructions to participate, giving our name which was to be called when it was our  turn to pray.  We could hear the people praying as each one would come on.  It was like being at a revival or church prayer meeting!  There were obviously so many praying that our name did not come up in the long while we waited. No doubt these fervent prayers were answered when our grandson began to improve and was subsequently dismissed a couple days later!

We were taking our walk a few days ago in Cann Gardens as part of Howard's walking therapy.  He likes to walk awhile and then take a rest on a bench or in a gazebo spaced conveniently along the brick walkway.  We were disappointed when we saw someone was already sitting in one of our favorite resting places, but when Howard asked the man if we could share the seating in the gazebo, he motioned us in.

The guy wore dark glasses and seemed reticent, but the first thing he said when we came in was, "My grandpa died last night." We expressed our sympathy, then he began to pour out things to us of his own near-death experiences from drugs. Howard asked him if had any visions or remembrances of anything during that time, and he said he did but he did not like to talk about what he saw. We did not press him, but my husband gave him a card from his wallet with the scripture, "The poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of  all his troubles." Psalm 34:6.

We prayed for the man at our next rest stop. Prayer changes things. May we always bear the standard of Jesus before the world. We never know when it will be us standing in the need of prayer!