God Sends His Message of Hope in Unexpected Ways

Pastor and writer, Dr. Carlyle Marney was in his hospital room awaiting surgery.  He confessed he was uncharacteristically anxious about the entire experience.  A pastor friend had come to see him, talk to him and pray with him, but, he said, that was no help.  The hospital chaplain, also a friend, stopped by to talk to him but, again, Marney felt no peace as he prepared to go to surgery.  Then, the attendant showed up take Marney from his hospital room to the operating room.  He helped Marney slide from his hospital bed onto the gurney he used to transport patients.  This large African-American man sensed that his passenger was frightened.  As he pushed the gurney down the hallway, he grabbed Marney’s big toe, squeezed it tightly and said, “Preacher Marney, you in God’s hand and everything gonna be alright.”  Marney said that, in that moment, those simple words from an unlikely messenger brought peace to his heart and he knew he would be fine. 

The God who sent our Savior from an out-of-the-way small village like
Bethlehem is the same God who still sends messages of hope to you and me in unexpected ways.  Perhaps even more amazing is the fact that God can make you one of those surprising messengers of hope.  Just think; you might be in the position to squeeze the big toe of someone on a frightening journey and bring hope and peace to their hearts.