JUST AT THE TIME WHEN MY WIFE AND I had started our young family, our local Church of Christ, Scientist, elected me First Reader, which meant I would be responsible for conducting the church services. I was already busy with my work and children, but I discovered that with this new assignment, God had actually given me a wonderful gift: The increasing inspiration I gained over those few years from the Sunday services and Wednesday evening meetings was truly life-changing. Of course, as I undertook my new position, I developed good research and study habits. But best of all, I cultivated the habit of listening to God for guidance and inspiration—which has remained part of me to this day. I like to think that my years as Reader illustrate this Bible verse: "I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures" (Prov. 8:21). My thinking became enriched spiritually, and that ongoing spiritualized thought affected every aspect of my life and made it easier for me to reach out to individuals in my community, sometimes in unexpected ways.
For example, the day I ended up praying in the local Wal-Mart, of all places, with a fellow customer. I'd gone down to get some paint supplies for the house my wife, Renee, and I had bought, and a woman I walked past in the paint supply aisle sounded kind of sad when I said hello. When I stopped for a minute, she then spilled it all—her young daughter had a drinking problem. That morning I'd been listening to audio tapes about the Bible to get more insight for my reading at church, and I was feeling so inspired. As we talked, I encouraged her to turn to God for answers, and we spent a moment just praying together quietly. We had a good laugh over it, praying there in a Wal-Mart, and she thanked me for taking the time to talk with her. She said that for once she felt a sense of hope—a way out of her despair. I know that the spiritual inspiration I felt as I talked to her came directly from the spiritual growth I'd made serving my church.
Over the last few years, as my love for God has steadily grown, so has my devotion to Church. Although I keep my love for God at the top of my priority list, supporting the institution of church has been right up there, too. Why? Because when people are organized and united around a common purpose, it's obvious that their combined talents and collective prayers can lead to great things. (The Journal is a good example of what individuals can produce when they work as a team!)
