The holiday season passed relatively quietly this year. Although I visited with some friends and family, I spent a good portion of time alone. During times of quiet and reflection, I thought about the weightiness of the last year— the natural disasters, ongoing wars, worldwide poverty, political instability, the world’s economies, and the rising incidences of diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS. Even though I’m a Christian, I found myself looking through the clouded lenses of each of these realities, I found myself dangerously close to the brink of hopelessness.
Just after the holidays, I received a phone call from a friend encouraging me to quickly turn on a popular morning show. I turned on the television and the first screenshot was of a tanned, haggard, looking man speaking directly into the camera in a rather unique, absolutely beautiful voice.
After watching for the next several minutes, I realized that I was watching nothing short of a miracle. According to the news program, the homeless man named Ted Williams, who just two days prior stood on a corner panhandling, had lost his livelihood, home, ands familial connections some fifteen years prior due to drug and alcohol addictions. The man now sat on national television, having been given a second chance, sharing his testimony.
He recalled a day where a man driving with his family stopped to give him a dollar. Although the father was immediately struck by Ted William’s voice, he had to go home right away and didn’t have time to engage him. Nevertheless, the father was persistent, and went back several times to try to find Ted and his unique voice. Fortunately, he did find Ted, and videotaped him.
The video made its way onto the popular video media website YouTube, and Ted quickly became an Internet sensation. More remarkable than his voice, and more impressive than the talent, was the man Ted Williams. Something about him resonated with me and reminded me of a fact that I plan to hold onto throughout this year.
This man, who was guilty of abusing drugs and alcohol, sat having been given what many would consider to be a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to not only go from rags to riches, but from sullied and unlovable to redeemed and embraced. I watched in awe as he graciously thanked those who had helped him, lauded the hosts of the morning show, and most impactful to me, praised and thanked the Lord Jesus for answering his prayers. The exuberance in his voice, his ability to be overwhelmed by the emotions of thankfulness and gratitude, his marked humility, and meek disposition reminded me of one of the most important biblical principles.
2 Peter 3:17 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” This scripture reminds me that God’s promises do not change (Numbers 23:19). He promises to remain faithful to us through the process of salvation and subsequently through sanctification. Regardless of our missteps and shortcomings, God will remain faithful to his promise to perfect us and make us into his image if we would submit to the process.
How differently would our world look if our hearts were postured in an attitude of submission? How quickly could our clouded lenses become clear if we willingly allowed the Holy Spirit to have His way? How does purposing to live in community ultimately impact our ability to see God’s hand at work?
I considered these questions as I learned more about Ted Williams and his remarkable story. And I realized that Mr. William’s was not able to take credit for the sudden turn of events of his life, nor will he be able to sustain it in isolation.
In fact, much of the credit for the tide turning in Ted’s life was a producer for the Columbus Dispatcher. The connection between the world and Ted’s talent turned out to be a Christian. The man who recorded the video and posted it online was a fellow believer. Not surprisingly, Ted isn’t the first person to whom he connected himself. It is a part of his lifestyle, according to his pastor and family, to reach out to the homeless and to those in need. How awesome is it that God teaches us the principle of His faithfulness through the connectedness of the Christian community?
At the start of every New Year, many make commitments and resolutions to change or improve some aspect of their personal lives. As a result of what I have learned through Ted Williams’ story, it is my hope to not change my life personally, but rather to learn to live better as a Christian in community with other believers. If we each commit to living in community, we too can be catalysts for new beginnings.
