EVANGELIST

                                                                                                  EVANGELIST

                                                                                                      Plugger


         Reuben paused, leaned on his cane and listened as he entered the tunnel leading into the stadium. The sound of music and singing told him seating would be limited, if a seat could be found at all. He read the letter once more as he began to doubt his decision about attending this even due to the probability of having to stand or climb to the higher tiers of seats. His legs, now weakened by age, moved with great effort and pain causing him to pause and catch his breath quite often. He was still in good shape considering his age but stairs were a painful. He had walked this on this earth for eighty-eight years and his dark brown skin now hung loosely over flaccid muscles.  Youth had fled, leaving in its stead an aged man with an unfulfilled dream that stirred again as he made his way slowly into the crowded stadium. Dreams usually die hard and his was no exception. His allowed his mind to drift back through the years until an usher touched his arm.
         "I'm sorry, sir."  The usher apologized.  "There are no seats left.  You may stand in the field if you wish, or you may choose to leave."
         "I don't understand," he said quietly.  "I have this letter."
         The younger man looked at him, then the letter, and then with a sudden awareness, he stammered;
         "Are....Are...Are you Mr. Brown?  Mr. Reuben Brown?"
         The old man nodded that he was and the usher became instantly apologetic.
         "I'm so sorry Mr. Brown!  I was.., I mean.., we were.., I mean.., I thought... "
         "Right this way sir."  The young man regained his composure.  "I am instructed to escort you to your seat immediately upon your arrival.  Please follow me.  May I assist you in any way?"
         Reuben leaned gratefully on the usher’s extended arm as he wondered what he had gotten himself into. The seats and the field of a stadium that normally seated thousands for a ball game was now packed with thousands of people who came to hear their God. The usher led him through the crowd as Reuben began once more to reflect upon his life and his dream.  It had been his dream, to be an evangelist; however dreams must often give way to reality and Reuben’s dreams had been no exception. He had moved from state to state working as a humble farm hand all his life.
         After hearing this young man speak on television a few months earlier Reuben had mailed a small check.  A few weeks later he had received a personal hand written invitation from the evangelist to attend the last night causing Reuben to come more from curiosity than any other reason.
         Reuben leaned heavily on the arm of the usher as he led him gently through the throng of people to a seat somewhere among the vast gathering.  He became more and more convinced that no one except God, the usher and himself would ever know he had been there as he allowed himself to be drawn into worship and praise.
Reuben clutched his old worn Bible as he allowed his mind to drift  back through the years to his childhood. His thoughts lingered for a moment at the tender age of ten when his father's employer, Mr. Braner, had invited him to his son's birthday party.  Reuben’s mother had objected at first, fearing he would be ignored or ill-treated by the other children for at that time blacks and whites were not considered equals. His mother had finally yielded to his pleading and hesitantly allowed him to attend the party. The Braners had shown no prejudice, and after the party Mr. Braner had taken time to sit down and tell him about Jesus.
It was then Reuben had decided he wanted to be like Mr. Braner and tell people about Jesus.  The new Bible Mr. Braner had given him that  had brought him comfort and peace throughout the years, now worn with age, held not only God's truth, but many memories as well.          
         Reuben had wanted to be a preacher but he had been deprived of that opportunity by the need to work and lack of educational opportunities. He began his first full time job at age twelve, working in the tobacco fields on a local farm. As he walked home along the old dirt road after his first full week on the job, a large, drunken white man had stepped in front of him.  The man struck Reuben in the face, took his money, then kicked him in the stomach and left.  At age twelve, Reuben had worked his first full week at his first full time job, and had been robbed on his way home.  In pain and confusion and through his tears, Reuben had prayed for the man. 
         Time does not stop when tragedy occurs but continues relentlessly forward. Time may allow the mind to release the hurt and ease the pain but often never allows one to forget. Reuben had never quite put the incident behind him yet he continued to work, read his Bible and pray. He spent much of his time in prayer for the man that had robbed him. He had taken advantage of every opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. He had witnessed to all who would listen, and perhaps to a few who preferred not to listen.  Reuben had never forgotten the first time he shared his faith in Jesus with someone.  Not only was it his first time to witness, it was with someone he should have hated.  It was the man who had beaten and robbed him of his first week’s pay.
         Reuben became aware of someone assisting him from the other side as he slowly let go of the past allowing awareness of the moment to recapture him. He was being led directly to the temporary stage set up for the speakers and singers. Reuben knew there was no reason he should be seated on the platform. He was only a dirt farmer but his protests fell on deaf ears as the usher led him toward the stairs.. Reuben could think of  no immediate route of escape, he would have to accept whatever happened as God's will. With a broad, warm smile the young evangelist rushed from the platform as they approached the steps. Taking Reuben's hand the young man personally escorted the old man onto the stage to a very prominent seat.
         Reuben sat in numbed silence as he looked out over the vast crowd as they worshiped. What could these people be thinking?  Could this be some kind of joke, or a self-promotion idea of the young preacher?  He did not know the preacher and he certainly wasn't worth all this attention. Reuben's heart rate increased rapidly as he became more and more tense and confused.  He needed someone he could trust, someone he could rely upon.  Then, as the intensity of worship and praise mounted around him, he did what he had done for 78 years.  Reuben knelt and prayed.
         The  sounds around him faded from his mind he prayed. As he entered into a time of fellowship with the one he loved he was unaware of how long he prayed.  As Reuben reached out and touched the hand of God, and poured out his fears to Him the stadium fell silent. The hush fell as the thousands of people gathered there joined with him in prayer.  Reuben was aware only of the presence of God, His peace, and His love.  When at last the old man struggled to his feet and sat down he was amazed at what he saw.  The massive crowd of people were all praying. Some were kneeling, some standing, some sitting but all praying.  He had unwittingly led the massive audience into prayer.
         The evangelist slowly stood then helped the old man to his feet. The young man placed his arm around Reuben the led him to the microphone.  Slowly a hushed silence began to fall over the crowded stadium as the two approached the microphone.  Tears of joy streamed down the young evangelist's face as he took the microphone and attempted to speak. He made a couple of unsuccessful attempts to articulate before he managed at last to speak.
         " All my life I have sought this man," as tears flowed freely.  "This man you see standing beside me now is the reason I am here.”
         The young man paused to wipe away his tears and regain his composure as Reuben looked at him trying to remember how this could be true.
         “Mr. Brown, do you remember when you were twelve, you had worked all week and you were on your way home with your first week’s pay?”
         Reuben nodded but said nothing. There was nothing to say for that was long ago and forgiven.
         “That night a very large and very drunk, white man stopped you, knocked you down, and took your money.” The young man continued. “That night, as you lay in the dirt, in pain, you did what we witnessed you do here tonight, you prayed.  You prayed! You prayed not for yourself, but for the one who had robbed you. When he heard you praying he spit on you and left. 
         “Then, Mr. Brown, you bravely, perhaps foolishly, followed him to his house. Then as you looked through the window, you saw the man drinking and cursing and beating his wife as his son cried. He beat his wife because she and his son were hungry and she dared say something.
         "In the weeks that followed, you would leave food on the porch of his house at night, that is, until he caught you.  When he did catch you, rather than try to run away, you sat there and told him about Jesus and shared the Gospel with him.  You never saw him again after that night, but I want you to know he searched for you the rest of his life.
         "You see, that night, after you left, he couldn't get your words out of his mind, and he shared them with his wife.  They knelt that night, in that little shanty where they lived, and gave their hearts to Jesus and his life changed. He stopped drinking, he found a job and became a husband to his wife and a father to his son. Three years later at age ten, their son,gave his heart to the Lord also.  Many years later, the son had a son and that son gave his heart to Jesus and became an evangelist.  God has given this man a successful ministry and allowed this man to lead many to Jesus. This man, as did his grandfather, and father before him, has spent much time and effort searching for a man named Reuben Brown. Praise God tonight I have found you!
         "Reuben Brown, you have labored hard all your life, and although you may think yourself insignificant, in my mind and in God's eyes you are a great man.  That night, so many years ago, you sat on a dark porch with a man you should have hated, and shared the truth with him. That night you changed his life.  He shared this truth with his family and eventually his friends who thought him crazy at first, but a few believed. Eventually his son became a preacher and in turn passed down the legacy to his son aboiut the young boy that changed the direction of this family.  I wonder, Mr. Brown, how many other lives you have touched and changed over the years.
         "Tonight is a special night, not only for those of us gathered here, but throughout the country where this is being televised.  Tonight thousands of people finally get to meet with me, the man who is responsible for what God has allowed this ministry to do.  Through your courage to witness to my grandfather, many people have been given eternal life.  Mr. Brown, Reuben, you are the one who has evangelized all these people.  You are the greatest evangelist I have ever known.  Look at the souls that were won because of you. Look around , all this applause is for you."
         Once again the crowd broke into thunderous applause, but Reuben did not hear them, nor had he hear the final words of the evangelist.  Instead he was hearing the words he had waited all his life to hear, spoken by the one he had served all his life. He collapsed into the arms of the young man as he heard the words that filled his heart with unspeakable joy.
         "Well done my good and faithful servant!  Welcome home!"
         1 Corinthians 10:31; "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

AFTERTHOUGHT
         We know not how far a kind word, or a kind deed may reach.  That insignificant person you witness to may have a very special work to do for God.