Unseen Hero Has A Simple Formula For Service

Barb and I went to see "End of the Spear" Friday night. It was even more moving that when I saw it during the special screening some weeks ago. Part of the reason may have been that I had finished reading Steve Saint’s book by the same title as the movie, on Friday afternoon. The book picks up with Steve’s return to Waodani to bury his Aunt Rachel. In her early eighties cancer had taken her life after over many many years of selfless service to the Waodani. As I thought about the powerful message of the movie, and the information provided by Steve Saint in his book, that filled in a lot of information not covered in the film, I became impressed with the fact that an untold hero of this whole story was really Rachel Saint. Rachel along with Elizabeth Elliott were the first to go to the Waodani and share the Gospel with them. Rachel translated the scripture into their language. She ministered to the physical needs of this tribe as well as their spiritual needs. From a young woman to a lady in her eighties she lived with them and gave her life for them in selfless service. Steve shares a wonderful insight to this special lady in his book on page 184, "Just before I said good-bye to Aunt Rachel after our last filming session, she grew uncharacteristically sentimental. "Isn’t it something," she asked, "that the Lord Jesus would have used someone like me to do His work in this special place? I was too old by the time I could apply for missionary service. I couldn’t help the Waodani much medically, I was not a Bible scholar, and I was never really a superior translator." I wondered why she was revealing her lack of qualifications for what she had spent half of her life doing. Well, Aunt Rachel, why do you think God gave you the assignment? What do you think He saw in you that He could use?" Her eyes brightened, and this eighty-two-year-old hero of mine responded with a formula for living: "Well, Stevie Boy, I loved the Lord Jesus with all my heart, and I trusted Him completely." She paused before continuing, "And I guess I just learned to persevere in whatever He gave me to do." What a simple yet powerful formula for service. Love Him with all your heart, trust Him completely, and persevere in whatever He gives you to do. "End of the Spear" is now playing.