“NO-WAY FRED!”
6 June 2007
Hi Guys
This edition of Cross Purposes comes from my friend Fred Gollasch, who worked with me in Sydney last year. Here he shares something that is true of all of us… an initial stubbornness and deafness to the voice of the Lord.
I love the way God works! Twice, my life has taken dramatic changes in direction, and I realise there is a pattern involved reflecting both on me and on the Lord.
In early 2005 Fred Veerhuis called on me in my first year of busy retirement in Canberra for a coffee. We sat chatting at the dining room table and out of the blue he said, “Why don’t you stop talking about all this stuff around here, and come and help us out in our Sydney congregations next year?” I was shocked. My immediate response was, “NO-WAY!” Fred asked why, and I said, “Because I want a rest!” He said, “I can understand that”, and started on some other topic.
In less than a minute, I was no longer listening. The Spirit was at work in my head and my heart and I found myself thinking and praying, “Hang on a minute! Lord, you told us it was time to leave Warrambui, and you said you had other plans for us. Maybe this is part of your plan?” I interrupted Fred (who told me later he had no intention of suggesting that option when he came), and asked for more information. God did the rest. Over the next months we had God’s peace about moving to Sydney and me taking up a totally new roll as pastoral assistant in the two city churches. That year (2006) was one of our most fulfilling years. It was challenging, fruitful, stretching, and wonderful. God’s ways are best!
This experience took me back to early 1989 in Wagga. I had a phone call from Stan Scheetz asking if Inta and I were interested in applying for the management jobs at Warrambui Retreat and Conference Centre near Canberra. I was not interested in change and my response was, “NO-WAY!” Stan accepted that and I went off to work and forgot about it. That night I thought, “Maybe I should tell Inta about that call!” She had never been as involved in Warrambui as I was, but I mentioned it and she floored me when she said, “THAT WOULD BE GREAT!”
God works in all sorts of mysterious ways. Inta to this day, does not know why she came out with that response, (it even surprised her), but it led to 15 of the most amazing years of our lives at Warrambui. Fred Veerhuis wasn’t planning to ask us to Sydney and yet it led to a wonderful year of rich joy and blessing for us, although it wasn’t easy. I didn’t want to change direction in life; in fact I was opposed to it both times. In response to God’s call I was “No-Way, Leave Me Alone, Fred!”
When our response is “No-Way Lord”, I love God’s patience as He waits for us to wake up to His reality. And on reflection we have lots of “No-Way” companions: Just three are - “No-Way Moses”, (when God called him to return to Egypt to rescue His people); “No-Way Jonah” (as God called him to witness to the people of Nineveh); “No-Way Peter” (who declared he would never be a “No-Way” man yet did it three times in denying His lord); and look what God did with those guys!
Looking back it is quite obvious that God plans our pathways in the greatest detail. Sometimes it comes to us gradually, sometimes the way it is revealed is sudden and surprising. I am thankful that God was patient enough to persevere with me, and nudge me with His Spirit at the right time.
It is crystal clear now that as hard as it is to change direction at times, if the Lord is calling us, the joys and blessings that come from following Him are so rich, why would we want to wander off in our own direction or stubbornly stick to what is safe and comfortable?
Next time God gives you a nudge, remember His promises: “My ways are not your ways…I will never leave you or forsake you.”
The Other Fred
(Fred Gollasch)
Hi Guys
This edition of Cross Purposes comes from my friend Fred Gollasch, who worked with me in Sydney last year. Here he shares something that is true of all of us… an initial stubbornness and deafness to the voice of the Lord.
I love the way God works! Twice, my life has taken dramatic changes in direction, and I realise there is a pattern involved reflecting both on me and on the Lord.
In early 2005 Fred Veerhuis called on me in my first year of busy retirement in Canberra for a coffee. We sat chatting at the dining room table and out of the blue he said, “Why don’t you stop talking about all this stuff around here, and come and help us out in our Sydney congregations next year?” I was shocked. My immediate response was, “NO-WAY!” Fred asked why, and I said, “Because I want a rest!” He said, “I can understand that”, and started on some other topic.
In less than a minute, I was no longer listening. The Spirit was at work in my head and my heart and I found myself thinking and praying, “Hang on a minute! Lord, you told us it was time to leave Warrambui, and you said you had other plans for us. Maybe this is part of your plan?” I interrupted Fred (who told me later he had no intention of suggesting that option when he came), and asked for more information. God did the rest. Over the next months we had God’s peace about moving to Sydney and me taking up a totally new roll as pastoral assistant in the two city churches. That year (2006) was one of our most fulfilling years. It was challenging, fruitful, stretching, and wonderful. God’s ways are best!
This experience took me back to early 1989 in Wagga. I had a phone call from Stan Scheetz asking if Inta and I were interested in applying for the management jobs at Warrambui Retreat and Conference Centre near Canberra. I was not interested in change and my response was, “NO-WAY!” Stan accepted that and I went off to work and forgot about it. That night I thought, “Maybe I should tell Inta about that call!” She had never been as involved in Warrambui as I was, but I mentioned it and she floored me when she said, “THAT WOULD BE GREAT!”
God works in all sorts of mysterious ways. Inta to this day, does not know why she came out with that response, (it even surprised her), but it led to 15 of the most amazing years of our lives at Warrambui. Fred Veerhuis wasn’t planning to ask us to Sydney and yet it led to a wonderful year of rich joy and blessing for us, although it wasn’t easy. I didn’t want to change direction in life; in fact I was opposed to it both times. In response to God’s call I was “No-Way, Leave Me Alone, Fred!”
When our response is “No-Way Lord”, I love God’s patience as He waits for us to wake up to His reality. And on reflection we have lots of “No-Way” companions: Just three are - “No-Way Moses”, (when God called him to return to Egypt to rescue His people); “No-Way Jonah” (as God called him to witness to the people of Nineveh); “No-Way Peter” (who declared he would never be a “No-Way” man yet did it three times in denying His lord); and look what God did with those guys!
Looking back it is quite obvious that God plans our pathways in the greatest detail. Sometimes it comes to us gradually, sometimes the way it is revealed is sudden and surprising. I am thankful that God was patient enough to persevere with me, and nudge me with His Spirit at the right time.
It is crystal clear now that as hard as it is to change direction at times, if the Lord is calling us, the joys and blessings that come from following Him are so rich, why would we want to wander off in our own direction or stubbornly stick to what is safe and comfortable?
Next time God gives you a nudge, remember His promises: “My ways are not your ways…I will never leave you or forsake you.”
The Other Fred
(Fred Gollasch)
posted by PastorFredVeerhuis at 10:11 AM
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Interestingly :)
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