a drink and then sit,” Brian directed.
Pastor Mike, the associate pastor, stuck his head in the doorway. “All good, Bri?”
“Yes, sir.” Brian stuffed a cookie in his mouth. “Wanna sit in?”
“Not unless you need me. But I’ll be in my office if anything comes up.”
Natalia looked from the door to Brian. “Is this supposed to be Pastor Mike’s job?”
“Not exactly.” Brian gulped down some juice. “He’s in charge of outreach, and this counts as outreach. But he’s got a ton of other ministries he’s involved in. I worked with him in here from the time I was a freshman. He let me take it over last year. It works great. He gets to catch up on paperwork on Thursday nights, and I get to be in charge. Win-win.”
Brian introduced Natalia to the group, and she noticed several of the members look from their leader to his new helper with winks. Don’t even go there.
When Brian asked Natalia up to the front to translate, her mouth went completely dry.
What if I mess up? What if I can’t do it fast enough and these people don’t get the message? She closed her eyes, willing herself to pray. As she did, Brian began his own prayer quietly.
“God, we thank you for this time together. Help me have wisdom as I talk about your Word and help Natalia as she translates my words. Use us to glorify you. Amen.”
Natalia felt herself calm, peace washing over her. Until Brian looked over and smiled.
Don’t look at me, Natalia wanted to scream. I can’t focus when you’re looking at me. So she stood a step behind him, her eyes on the faces smiling at her. Faces of people wanting to hear God’s Word in their own language. Help me do this, God.
Brian took out a worn Bible and opened it to the center. “I’m going to talk about Job.”
Brian paused, and Natalia realized that was her cue to begin translating. Switching from English to Spanish so quickly was more difficult than she had expected, but once Brian got into his message, they found a rhythm. Natalia was able to listen to Brian and translate at the same time.
“Did Job have a right to complain?” Brian asked, waiting for a response.
“Sí,” Maria, an older woman, responded. “His children were taken from him, his money, his land, his health. If anyone had a right to complain, it was him.”
“That makes sense.” Brian nodded. “How many of you have experienced some of these things?”
Hands all around the room went up, and there were stories behind each one.
“This story is in here for you,” Brian said. “For all of us, whenever we think God is being unfair or we have a right to complain. Do you know what God finally told Job at the end of this book?”
Natalia waited with the rest of the room for his answer.
“He didn’t say anything.” Brian shut his Bible. “He didn’t have to. He reminded Job that he is God. He is sovereign. He knows what we can never know and he works in ways we don’t see. We can trust him, even when terrible things are happening. He is holy.”
Natalia finished translating and bit back a tear. She needed to hear this message. She wished Maureen could hear this message as well.
“I don’t want to minimize your pain.” Brian looked at the people in the room, compassion filling his eyes. “I know what some of you have gone through, and I can’t even imagine it. But God is bigger than your pain. He will meet you in it, help you through it, and he will bring you out of it.”
One of the members shouted “Amen,” and Natalia echoed that in her heart.
“So you can choose to be like Job, trusting God no matter what. Or you can be like his wife who said, ‘Curse God and die.’ It’s your choice. I pray you will trust him.”
Brian closed in prayer and paused. “If you want to talk afterward, you know I’ll be here. So will Pastor Mike. But for now, I’m done. It’s your turn. Natalia wants to know all about you. In two minutes or less. And in English. So who will go first?”
Natalia was a
Pastor Mike, the associate pastor, stuck his head in the doorway. “All good, Bri?”
“Yes, sir.” Brian stuffed a cookie in his mouth. “Wanna sit in?”
“Not unless you need me. But I’ll be in my office if anything comes up.”
Natalia looked from the door to Brian. “Is this supposed to be Pastor Mike’s job?”
“Not exactly.” Brian gulped down some juice. “He’s in charge of outreach, and this counts as outreach. But he’s got a ton of other ministries he’s involved in. I worked with him in here from the time I was a freshman. He let me take it over last year. It works great. He gets to catch up on paperwork on Thursday nights, and I get to be in charge. Win-win.”
Brian introduced Natalia to the group, and she noticed several of the members look from their leader to his new helper with winks. Don’t even go there.
When Brian asked Natalia up to the front to translate, her mouth went completely dry.
What if I mess up? What if I can’t do it fast enough and these people don’t get the message? She closed her eyes, willing herself to pray. As she did, Brian began his own prayer quietly.
“God, we thank you for this time together. Help me have wisdom as I talk about your Word and help Natalia as she translates my words. Use us to glorify you. Amen.”
Natalia felt herself calm, peace washing over her. Until Brian looked over and smiled.
Don’t look at me, Natalia wanted to scream. I can’t focus when you’re looking at me. So she stood a step behind him, her eyes on the faces smiling at her. Faces of people wanting to hear God’s Word in their own language. Help me do this, God.
Brian took out a worn Bible and opened it to the center. “I’m going to talk about Job.”
Brian paused, and Natalia realized that was her cue to begin translating. Switching from English to Spanish so quickly was more difficult than she had expected, but once Brian got into his message, they found a rhythm. Natalia was able to listen to Brian and translate at the same time.
“Did Job have a right to complain?” Brian asked, waiting for a response.
“Sí,” Maria, an older woman, responded. “His children were taken from him, his money, his land, his health. If anyone had a right to complain, it was him.”
“That makes sense.” Brian nodded. “How many of you have experienced some of these things?”
Hands all around the room went up, and there were stories behind each one.
“This story is in here for you,” Brian said. “For all of us, whenever we think God is being unfair or we have a right to complain. Do you know what God finally told Job at the end of this book?”
Natalia waited with the rest of the room for his answer.
“He didn’t say anything.” Brian shut his Bible. “He didn’t have to. He reminded Job that he is God. He is sovereign. He knows what we can never know and he works in ways we don’t see. We can trust him, even when terrible things are happening. He is holy.”
Natalia finished translating and bit back a tear. She needed to hear this message. She wished Maureen could hear this message as well.
“I don’t want to minimize your pain.” Brian looked at the people in the room, compassion filling his eyes. “I know what some of you have gone through, and I can’t even imagine it. But God is bigger than your pain. He will meet you in it, help you through it, and he will bring you out of it.”
One of the members shouted “Amen,” and Natalia echoed that in her heart.
“So you can choose to be like Job, trusting God no matter what. Or you can be like his wife who said, ‘Curse God and die.’ It’s your choice. I pray you will trust him.”
Brian closed in prayer and paused. “If you want to talk afterward, you know I’ll be here. So will Pastor Mike. But for now, I’m done. It’s your turn. Natalia wants to know all about you. In two minutes or less. And in English. So who will go first?”
Natalia was a
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