Famous Amos

Famous Amos

There are a lot of famous people in the world. People who achieve fame and fortune. People who's faces are found on magazine covers, movie screens and in the news.  I want to introduce you to a friend who never made star status but he was famous in my eyes. His name is Amos. Even though he has gone home to be with the Lord, I want to share my friend with you.

I first met Amos in the mid 80's when I was pastoring an inner city Episcopal church. Judy and I had moved from Montana with three small children and another on the way. Through friends in the church, I was introduced to Amos. He was an elder in another church some distance from us. My first impression of Amos was that he looked like a gnome: small in stature, balding head and a warm smile. Who was this guy?

For some reason Amos took a liking to me. He began to call me every couple of weeks, asking how I was doing and inviting me to coffee. This was the start of a relationship that lasted twenty years until his death. Little did I know that Amos came into my life for a purpose. The Lord has a way of doing that.

You see, Amos was a seer. A strange gift to say the least. Amos could see and hear what the Lord was saying. His gift enabled him to see what you and I could not. I know that sounds scary but Amos wasn't a scary person. With a gracious heart and a soft voice, he would share what he saw and heard, then ask me what it meant. For some reason I usually knew. At first, I was skeptical but his gentle spirit won me over.

A decade later, after Judy and I moved back to Montana, Amos came for a visit. As usual, he came with a word from the Lord. This made me nervous, not knowing exactly what the Lord had to say. Amos said the Lord had given me a special gift. A gift that was needed in the Church. A gift to pastor pastors and mentor leaders. He showed me in the New Testament how Jesus gave gifts to the church to help the church grow up. Amos said this is what the Lord had in store for me. Looking back, I see how right Amos was in encouraging me to embrace this gift from God. Whenever I am in doubt about who I am and what I am doing, I remember what Amos told me, "God has given you a precious gift. Use it for his glory."

Amos was an ordinary kind of guy. Looking at him, you wouldn't know what was on the inside. It was by God's grace that Amos came into my life. If I hadn't taken the time to have coffee with Amos, I may have never know what gifts God had for me. Amos was often sidelined by church leaders. He never imposed himself on others or demanded to be heard. His quiet manners and gentle spirit made him Famous! Thank you Amos for being my friend.

The Bible reminds us that the Lord is the Giver of all good gifts. Not the kind you find wrapped in pretty paper under the Christmas tree. The gifts from God often come with skin on: a parent, spouse, child, or close friend. They don't come perfect but they do come equipped to bless and love you right where you are. Why does it seem so hard to unwrap these gifts?