PROGRAM SUCCESS – SEPTEMBER 2011
PAGE 31
The Call of God
In my travels I meet Christians of different faiths, denominations,
and churches with different names. The one thing all these people
have in common is the fact that in one way or another, inevitably our
conversation ends up centering around them expressing some type
of a calling on their life. God has called them to be a Pastor, an
Evangelist, a Bishop. God called them to write a book, record a CD,
become a public speaker. God called them to start a business, charter
a school, run for political office.
The question amazes me, “Why is it that God never calls anyone to
become a floor-sweeper, mailroom clerk, yard-keeper, dishwasher,
or even driver of the church van? All these positions are viable to
kingdom building, not as glamorous but just as important to God.
The Bible tells us to be faithful in the little things and God will exalt
us to even greater things. In the Bible we see the faithfulness of
many great men and great women in little things before they entered
their Hall of Fames. I wonder if any of these people who have
expressed their calling to me have endured positions of lowliness
faithfully.
God called me to be a PaperBoy. I put together and deliver the
newspaper (now a magazine), that highlight the achievement of
others. When I express this to people, I’m a PaperBoy, it shocks me
how many rebuke me, “Don’t talk like that, you are more than
that!”, “Don’t belittle yourself – You are the child of a King. You are
of Royal Heritage.” “Just pray, keep the faith and God will give you
something bigger… better.” Still, I’m just a PaperBoy. My job
consists of putting the paper together and delivering it to folks.
That’s what I do… all day… all month… city to city throughout the
state.
Everyone wants to be great and powerful. But do they really? How
many students want the teacher to call them to the board to tackle
the greatest, most difficult mathematical equation? Most of us want
the easiest assignment. Great callings require great responsibility.
James and John in Matthew 20:20 sought greatness when they ask
Jesus to sit on the right and left hand of His throne. Jesus told them
they did not know what they were asking or the cup they would be
drinking from. Ministry is not fun, its hard work… serious work.
Jesus drink from the cup of suffering and crucifixion. Both James
and John faced suffering. James would be put to death for his faith,
and John would be exiled.
My journey to this point in time has caused me to travel up some
tough mountains, live in some lonely valleys, and visit some god-
forbidden places. I have lost everything I owned (money, houses,
cars, etc.) three different times. I’ve been looked down upon,
criticized, ostracized, and called everything but a Child of God.
I’m not complaining for these things happen to us all – right?
That’s why we so eagerly raise our hands to volunteer for ministry
and positions of importance.
I am thankful that God is faithful, where He guilds – He provides.
Even as a PaperBoy, my family has been taken care of; my wife
works with me, both my children went to college and my daughter
is currently in medical school. My son is getting married next
month and we are awaiting with great expectations our first
grandchild in late August.
I am proud of the accomplishments we have made publishing for
18 years, The Christian Reader Newspaper and The Program
Success Magazine… again, thanks be to God. We have published
articles that have helped us as a people to do better and be better
whether it is Spiritually, Medically, Politically, Economically or
Socially.
We have united the Black Church with Black Businesses to foster
better working relationships with these two biggest and most
successful entities of our community. We have spotlighted
successful Black people in each of the communities we represent,
inspiring youth with role models they can see and touch.
In our 18 years of existence we have printed over 4,000,000 papers
and magazines, travel over 3,000,000 miles, and have been read
over 12,000,000 times. How lives have been touch? How society
has been impacted? How communities have been changed? How
church life has been affected? How the Black Community has
improved? Well that’s for God to determine and decide… I’m just
a PaperBoy.
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