Never Dig a Hole by Stan Wright

Matthew 25:18, “But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”

Her name was Lessie Vaughan and she was going on 83 years young when I first met her.  New to the ministry and not having attended seminary yet, I knew I was in need of all the encouragement, advice and especially prayer I could get.  Mrs. Vaughan was a widow lady; her husband had been dead for probably 30 years.  Her only child, her son, had been killed in Germany during World War II, shot down with his plane.

So, for most of life, Mrs. Vaughan had worked and lived alone, but she was a staunch believer in the Lord Jesus and attended church constantly.  In fact, she like attending church and bible studies so much, that when the church I was serving started a study, she never failed to attend, with me picking her up of course.

One day, early in the fall, after our study had begun, she invited me to just stick my head in the door of her house to see a special place.  There in the corner of her little dining room was a vinyl green rocker and beside it her bible and books, all lined up.  She told me this was here special place; this was where she was when she received word that her son had been killed.  This was where she had prayed all night, when her husband was so ill and then she said, “this is the place where I use my one talent, prayer, and pray for you all the time.”  You could have bowled me over with a feather, humbly fighting back a tear.  She said that she didn’t have much money, her energy was used up from working over the years, but she said you know, “I can always pray.”  That was the talent/gift that God had given her, to pray intercessory prayer for others.  She had church directories of all the churches she attended and she had the names of all the missionaries she supported.  She had my name at the top of the list, knowing I was new to ministry.

Over the last now 28 years of ministry in moments when life has been difficult or when troubles come or when I think of all the years of ministry and how God has so blessed me.  I think of Lessie Vaughan and I thank the Lord that with that one talent he gave her, she did not bury it in a hole, but used it to the best of her ability.

However young or old we may be or feel, God has given each of us gifts to be used for His glory.  This pastor may very well have never gotten out of seminary, if it had not been for a little, Christian lady doing the one thing she knew how to do.  Pray.  What is year gift/talent?  My new parishioners will hear me mention that over and over, because I think in all of us we possess the gifts to do God’s will as he bring others to Christ.

May God’s Holy Spirit guide and direct us all in using whatever gift we have – no matter our age or background.  Never dig a hole!

Stan Wright is the New Pastor at South Roanoke United Methodist Church

Visit them on Sundays at 2330 South Jefferson St or Online at www.srumc.com

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