Whom Can I Count On Now?
April 1, 1996
(In the following true account, names and some identifying details have been changed.) This is my beloved son, in whom I am well-pleased." The congregation shifted their gaze from the handsome preacher in the pulpit to the handsome young man on the front pew. Chris Nelson felt their eyes but focused on his father's words. "I've had the privilege to preach at other ordination services," the speaker said. "But this occasion is very special, as a father and as a preacher of the gospel. Chris grew up in a preacher's home. For him to respond to God's calling in spite of what he knows about ministry is both remarkable and encouraging." After the message, Chris knelt at the altar as the ordained gathered around him for the laying on of hands. His father was last to pray. When he called out, "Lord, bless him with a long and fruitful ministry," Chris became choked with emotion. Lord, may I serve you as faithfully as my father has, he thought. SNOW-COVERED WINDSHIELD
Four years later, Chris was in his study when he got a call. "I need to see you today," was all his father said. That's strange, Chris thought as he hung up the phone. Why would he drive five hours just to tell me something? He stared at the commentaries and legal pads cluttering his desk. He's probably fed up with denominational work and ready to get back into the pastorate. Behind Chris's desk hung his ordination certificate. Even now as he looked at it, he could feel his father's pride. It was dark when his father arrived. When Chris opened the door, he hardly recognized the man with snow on his collar. His father's face was drawn. He looked small in his overcoat and boots. "Put on your parka," he said. "Let's go for a drive." As they backed out of the driveway, Chris's father ...
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