Yesterday I had a very interesting experience when I went to get my nails done. My manicurist is a sweet lady named Maria. I’ve been going to her for about a year and a half. I don’t go as often as I would like but I always enjoy it so much when I do.
We learn more about each other each time I go. Yesterday she asked me what made Dave and I move to the Rio Rico area. I explained that I was born and raised in Arizona but we had been gone to Washington, Idaho and Montana for over twenty years and when it came time to move back we were diligent in our search.
We didn’t want to come back to the big city of Phoenix, that wasn’t us. Nor did we want to move back to my hometown of Yuma, too hot. We looked around Tucson and couldn’t find anything that really suited us or our budget so we kept broadening our search while keeping Tucson as our hub city. Most of our searching was on-line and we found some nice places in Rio Rico so came to explore what was here.
I went on to tell her that we had been to this area years ago. We would come down and hold Bible Studies for the ranchers and their friends who lived in Tubac. We also came down and held a three-day campmeeting that the local residents were invited to. We had music, food, and Bible teaching for those three days. It was a great time!
We loved this area and so we were happy to be back and make it our home.
When I finished telling her our story of coming to Rio Rico she looked at me and smiled. She said when she and her brothers were younger they were invited to a Bible Study in the home of their bus driver. She said they had good music and teaching. She wanted to know if that was us. What a small world! No, it wasn’t us but it was one of the families that came to our campmeeting and Bible Studies, in fact, Dave, the kids and I had stayed in their home once while we were down here ministering.
We never know how the Lord will use us and how he will touch others through the things we do. Here I was talking to someone who had been touched by the cowboy ministry thirty-five years ago. Isn’t God good?!
Her story reminded me of something the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth. They were divided in their loyalties between Paul and another man who was preaching Christ, Apollos.
“ Some of you say that you follow me, and others claim to follow Apollos. Isn’t that how ordinary people behave? 5 Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen. 6 I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. 7 What matters isn’t those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow.” I Corinthians 3:4-7 CEV
It was such a blessing for me to know that the seeds we planted in this area and that those Bible Studies watered, caused growth in the life of some of those in this community.
We may never know the impact that our words and actions have to bring someone to the Lord. However, we should always keep sowing the seed, even if it’s while getting our nails done.