More From Terry J. Burns

In October of 2019, my husband and I were still getting used to retirement and our new location in Florida. On one Sunday that month, we visited a local church for the first time. After the service, a couple greeted us and talked with us. During that conversation, the wife invited me to a Bible study that meets in a nearby neighborhood each Monday afternoon. My first thought was to say, “Oh, that sounds nice! I’ll think about it.” Then I thought, What am I waiting for? My Monday afternoons are open. I joined the group the next day. That lady is now a dear friend, and the Bible study group plays a vital role in my continuing faith journey. I believe God prompted her to invite me to the study—completing a good work that God prepared for her to do.

The Monday afternoon Bible study group offers beautiful illustrations of Christians who follow God’s plan and complete good works. The women who offer their homes for our meetings are gracious and welcoming. The leaders prepare thoughtful lessons every week. They also kept us going during the time the world was “shut down” in 2020-2021 as we met online. During one online session, a member asked for prayer for another lady in our group who could not meet with us online. She shared that this woman felt isolated and alone. I did not know her very well, but I felt God’s pull on my heart to reach out to her. I asked our leader for her address, and I sent her an Easter card. That card was the first of many cards that she and I now send to each other as we correspond.

I believe that every day holds opportunities to complete the good works that God prepares for us. I watch for those occasions, and I try to respond in a way that is in keeping with God’s will. At times, we are called to fulfill God’s plans in circumstances that are pivotal in the lives of God’s children. Last fall, while traveling with my husband and his two sisters, we gathered around a hotel’s outdoor fire pit. Two other families joined us, and I found myself in a casual conversation with a stranger that soon became a confidential discussion about a crisis her family was going through. We hugged as we parted ways, and I told her that I would pray for her and her family. Five months later, her name often comes to mind, and I pray again for her and her family.

God often calls us simply to take the time to chat with a neighbor, to share a kind word with a cashier, to encourage a colleague, or to hug a loved one. A backup in traffic gives me time to pray for personal concerns as well as for the other travelers around me. A long wait in a doctor’s office offers opportunities to pray for the other patients in the waiting area and for the doctors and their staff. If a friend or family member’s name surfaces in my thoughts, I pray for that person and often follow up with a phone call, email, or card.

And sometimes, the simple, seemingly small actions we take in response to God’s calling turn out to be pivotal in the lives of others. That brings me back to that autumn Sunday in 2019. My friend’s simple act—an invitation to join a Bible study—became pivotal in my walk of faith. Isn’t it amazing that God invites each of us to play a role in the fulfillment of God’s plans?