Jim Miller prays for Sheila and me every weekend. He prays for us every day. He knows God will come through and he has no fear that God can't help, or won't help. Even when he suffers, even when he must wait for his prayers to be answered, Jim keeps praying.
He has faith, not fear. He trusts God, and is willing to wait. Because he has confidence in God, he lives differently. His faith empowers him. It informs his decisions. Jim's faith gives him patience and courage.
My nephew, Isaac Hunter was recently reflecting on this matter of patient faith.
"Most people don’t make bad decisions because they are intellectually deficient; they make bad decisions because they are impatient; they are impatient because they are afraid. They’re afraid God won’t really come through, either because He can’t or doesn’t care to… neither of which are true. Patience is a virtue rarely killed by vice—it is eroded by fear."
God, bless Jim and give us faith like his - faith that is patient, unafraid and impossible to intimidate.
James 5:16b - The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Thanks Mark for the great comments about our brother in Jesus Jim Miller. He now needs our prayers for his health! May we be as faithful to prayer with out fear as he is!
Posted by: James Kytta | June 03, 2009 at 01:05 PM
I don't know Jim but I admire him greatly.
A couple of winters ago Jim was leaving a New Community service by himself. As I past by Jim in the hallway I noticed the obvious struggle Jim was having walking. Jim uses a walker to hold himself up as he navigates each step forward. His body hunched over at almost a 90 degree angle, Jim takes minutes to cover the same ground it takes me just seconds.
As I made my way outside the full blast of winter hit me in the face and my thoughts went back to Jim. I'm not much of a "God told me this" or "God told me that" kind of guy, but something inside me said go across the sidewalk and watch this man of God walk to his truck.
I wanted to put this living movie of "love for God" in my head for future reference. Here's a man who can barely walk, and I mean barely, risking his life to get to and from a New Community Service.
I'm telling you I was moved greatly by this picture of such obvious love for God and watched with great intensity as he took each step with great care. As I watched I felt gripped by God to watch over this saint and make sure he made it to his truck OK.
Jim finally made it through the ice and snow to his truck and I asked him if he needed some help getting in. "Nope", I'm fine but thanks, Jim said.
I said a few more words and left.
Pastor you give some amazing messages that impact me greatly but those 15 minutes I spent watching Jim struggle to get to his car will live with me forever.
Jim is a living example of pointing your feet in the right direction and giving everything you've got until you've got nothing left to give.
What a giant!
Posted by: Mark McClean | June 03, 2009 at 01:59 PM
Thanks for sharing this.
Posted by: Johnny Carr | June 03, 2009 at 03:23 PM
Jim is one of my all-time heroes. I love to talk to him and laugh with him. He has an amazing sense of humor and exhaustive perseverance. I know he misses his wife who was also a woman I highly admired. On the day she passed I was at church (rehearsal) in Utah and had a breakdown because I was so far away and it was hard to explain to my new friends how much she and Jim meant to me. It was a blessing to return home and get to speak to Jim each weekend. I am glad he puts his life into coming to church because it is quite a testimony to generations who need his example. When Jim speaks about what is important to him, one cannot help but sit and stay to listen to his wisdom. Thanks.
Posted by: Michelle Bythrow | June 03, 2009 at 10:50 PM
I've spent many a Friday morning with Jim at breakfast. He is faithful. He is honest. He teaches by example more than many do with words. But more than anything, he became a friend and for that I will always be grateful.
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