Porcupine, You Say? Never Fear! Epiphany to the Rescue!

In my forthcoming book (yes, people, it will soon be published!) I make mention of the fact that I learned many truths sitting at Auntie's feet, learning wonderful God-truths vicariously through her own hard-won lessons. This is the story of one of them, duly important I think you will agree when you read it, but not included in the manuscript …

Auntie's ministry in Mexico began in Monterrey, in missions begun by the church through which my maternal family came to know the Lord. When Auntie had felt the call to minister, she had been taken aside not once, not twice, but three times in an effort, it seemed to her, to discourage her.

"You realize, of course, that ministers have very little money. You will be signing on a for a life of poverty."

Yes, Auntie realized that. She had heard the call--actually from God's audible voice!--and had set her face like a flint. Nothing would deter her from fulfilling that to which God had called her. So off she went to Bible school in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

When she returned with her ministerial diploma tucked under her arm, her first job as a minister was somewhat underwhelming--the powers that be ordained that she begin by serving in the ministry of helps, used as a gopher and handyman in the maintenance of some rental homes the church owned. The income from those rentals was used towards church expenses. I don't know how much Auntie was paid, but it wasn't much. A few years down the road my grandmother got put on the supported missionary list and received ten dollars a week. Whatever it was in Auntie's case, it was a low enough wage to incite my mother to wrath--Auntie looked so bedraggled and poor after a day of such physical labor that an unknown woman, seeing her standing at the front on a grocery store, thought she was a beggar and actually put money in her hand! Auntie was so stunned she just took it, it was so unexpected that she didn't know how to react.

Be that as it may, eventually Auntie got promoted to more spiritual labors and she found herself preaching, teaching, helping in a myriad of ways at the church's mission in Monterrey. Things were definitely looking up ministry-wise. Until the day she got the notice of a new missionary the home church was sending to work with her. Being warned about poverty had not phased her. But this … this was a horse of a different color, as they say!

When she heard the name of the person, Auntie's spirits plummeted. Of all the people she knew in the extended church family, the lady coming down was the only one with whom Auntie had trouble getting along with. Although Auntie had a fun side, she was basically quiet and easy to get along with. But this sister in Christ that was coming? It seemed that no matter what Auntie said or did, it seemed to rub that lady the wrong way. Auntie could do nothing right in her sight.

In desperation, Auntie got on her knees one night to plead for God's help and mercy.

"Lord, you know how she is. I can never do anything to please her. No matter what I say, she takes it wrong. No matter what I do, in her estimation it's the wrong thing to do. What am I going to do? How can I continue to work here? You have called us to have peace with all men, but this lady … I need Your help!"

It was then that the Lord reminded Auntie of Psalm 141:3, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."

She squared her shoulders and let her lips slip into a smile. She would stand on God's Word and depend on Him to keep her from offending with her words!

But that was not all. Not only did God encourage her about His help with her words, He bestowed on her an experience to remember. In fact, it was at that juncture that Auntie experienced something she had not experienced before and never experienced again--a virtual baptism of love. "There is no other way to put it," she told me.

As she knelt in the little bedroom that was hers, the moon's light shown in through the window. And as it filled the room, bathing her with its rays, a simultaneous infilling of supernatural love came over her. It swept over her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. It was not her love, but God's that she felt. It enveloped her, buoyed her, and let her know that God would give her the ability and grace to live with this fellow Christian, prickly though she was, and help her show that woman God's love.

And so it was. What would have otherwise been an intolerable situation became instead an exercise in grace as God helped Auntie guard her mouth and show kindness and love towards this somewhat harsh Christian. It's a sorry truth that some of us have a brusqueness that offends, Christians though we are, but, fortunately, God loves us anyway and He will give us the grace to love those we meet who we find in those same straights.

Years later I had occasion to work with someone similar--in the natural I could not get along with them, both persons simply rubbed me the wrong way. But Auntie's example that went before encouraged me and those otherwise intolerable situations became instead pictures of God's mercy and grace.

Life is hard. Not everyone we meet will want to be lovey-dovey with us. But we can stand on God's word and, despite the sad prickliness of these individuals, we can experience the grace and peace of God in our lives. We can rest assured that despite the porcupines with whom we are confronted in our Christian walk, God will help us--and we will triumph over every painful quill thrown our way!