GRANDPA'S LETTER: A FORMER NAVIGATOR ASSOCIATE SPEAKS OUT REGARDLESS OF HIS PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Grandpa’s Letter: A Former Navigator Associate Speaks Out Regardless of His Parkinson’s Disease
Rich (who has Parkinson’s Disease) was usually extremely quiet during our home Zoom prayer groups, but he volunteered to take a turn as one of the presenters of a weekly devotion this week before prayer began. He said he wanted to leave behind as his legacy some testimonials of God’s working in his life so that his children and grandchildren could read them; he decided to read the first of these testimonials to our group.
When he began, however, my husband and I were immediately struck by his simple devotion to God and God’s simple supply to him. God helped him in his presentation that night, and he had little difficulty conveying the message. I began thinking, “This needs to be shared with the whole body of Christ.” (Photo above: Rich and his daughter, Amy)
Then, during the night, I began thinking to myself, “Well, you can help make that happen through a blog!”
So, I contacted Rich, and he graciously sent me his script to share with readers.
(1) First, he tells how he and his wife made their commitments to narrow the focus of their lives to what would please God. Like the hymn admonishes us in “Rise Up, Oh Men of God,” they decided to have done with lesser things (like antiques) when they learned of a relative’s pending death. They eventually headed to Colorado Springs to be trained in Navigators work. Using these methods, he urged many to commit their lives to the Lord. (See https://www.navigators.org/.) Although they were never staffers with Navigators, they relied heavily on their resources and techniques.
(2) Secondly, Rich tells the touching story of his daughter Amy’s ordeal with ear infection as a baby and how God took care of it, including the bill. His wife, Betty, gets excited at this point and delights to share how she learned that NO HEATH INSURANCE is NO PROBLEM in God’s economy. Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. One OBGYN completely waived his fee to deliver their baby.
Below are Rich’s actual words of these first of many great adventures in his life:
FIRST TESTIMONIAL:
Our Surrender
The reason I am documenting these personal experiences with God include:
- I am 77 years old and will not be living around here forever (at least not down here), and I want to share these stories with my children and grandchildren.
- Miracles still happen.
- God is faithful.
“The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness”
In order to make the following story, “Amy’s Ear Infection,” more meaningful, I would like to share some background information. During the many years Betty and I lived in Germany because of military duty and employment opportunities in that country, there were some events that were very influential in my life.
We received a phone call from the United States one night, regarding the critical condition of Betty's mother. It made me consider my life and those things I was investing my life into like cars, entertainment, traveling, stereo equipment, cameras, and antiques. I knew these would not impress God. That night, Betty and I knelt beside our bed and prayed that God would be the priority of our lives. This was “Plan A,” and there would be no “Plan B.”
I also read the biography of George Mueller, and I was deeply impressed with his conviction that God would faithfully provide for the orphanage he established and for the orphans living there.
The statement of Jim Elliot, a missionary martyr, “He who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose is no fool,” influenced me greatly.
Betty and I were introduced to two godly Navigator staff members who later discipled us as a couple in the areas of the Word, prayer, fellowship and witnessing. God developed in us a desire to influence our world for Christ through disciple making.
Eventually, we thought it wise to return to the United States with our children. We explored various ministry opportunities. We decided to go to Colorado Springs, Colorado for training to lead Navigator “2:7,” discipleship groups in churches under the authority of church elders.
After a brief visit with our families in NJ, we started on our long trip to Colorado, trusting God to guide us and to provide for all our needs.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Philippians 4:19 (NASB)
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
SECOND TESTIMONIAL:
Amy’s Ear Infection
The summer of 1980 found us driving from New Jersey to Colorado. It was in the middle of a terrible heat wave and a drought in Kansas. There was hardly a car on the road. Huge grasshoppers were all over the pavement. As we drove along the grasshoppers would jump up and get smooshed on the front window and the grill of the car. On board were Kenny 10, Jenny 5, Amy 9 months and David (3 months, in the oven).
Amy was crying and pulling on both ears. This usually meant an ear infection. Where do you find a doctor in the midst of nowhere? We had not seen anything for a few minutes. And then we came to a town that consisted of a grain elevator and a tiny post office and a very small convenience store. We stopped and asked the store manager, “What do you do if you have a sick child?” He said, “Go a few blocks down, turn left and you will find a clinic.” We were very skeptical that there could be a doctor or a clinic in this one-horse town. BUT . . . there it was.
The walls of the doctor’s waiting room were loaded with all kinds of diplomas and prestigious awards. We were the only ones there.
The doctor asked us many questions.
· Where are you going? to Colorado Springs
· Do you have a job there? No. Most jobs were government related, and there was a hiring freeze in effect with no end in sight.
· Do you have relatives there? No
· Do you have friends there? No
· Do you know anyone there? No
· Why are you going there? Because God asked us to go there and learn how to minister to young couples.
· The doctor said, “WOW! You are really pioneering.”
The doctor and his nurse spent quite a large amount of time with Amy. She had double ear infections and both ears were clogged up and had to be irrigated. I was expecting a very huge bill due to the large amount of time they spent with Amy and the size of the medical goodie bag he held in his hand.
I asked him how much we owed him. He just smiled and said there would be no charge.
We felt very blessed! God had supplied for our great need!
We had just lived out Philippians 4:19!
I am hoping that Rich and Betty will share other stories from their rich past. Who knows what adventure awaits each of us as we “have done with lesser things?”