Sometimes we are put in a situation for one purpose. We are planted like a “mole” for a specific task. We go along through life uneventfully, doing our routine, being faithful to our task, and then, like a Trojan horse virus on a computer, God activates us for the task. This is not to say that what we do everyday is not significant. It is. Everything we do for God is potentially significant, impacting things beyond what we can see. But, sometimes, we find ourselves in places where we have the opportunity to save the day. This happened once to Paul’s nephew in Acts 23. We don’t even know his name. We don’t know what he was doing there. But, somehow, he became aware that 40 men who wanted Paul dead were planning to manipulate the system to get Paul on a path where they could overpower his guards and assassinate him. We don’t know how old Paul’s nephew was, but he was old enough to know that his uncle was in serious trouble. So, he went to the prison and told Paul. Paul sent him to the Centurion in command, who, aware of the danger, whisked Paul away to safety in Caesarea under heavy military guard.
This is the only mention of Paul’s nephew in the Bible. He was strategically placed and had one significant thing to do…and he did it faithfully. Like a “mole”, or a “sleeper cell”, when the time was right, when the opportunity came, he acted. It is not difficult to conclude that God has placed us as “moles” in the lives of those around us. We never know when our opportunity will come, we seldom know our strategic importance in someone’s life, but our word, our sentence, our hug, our action might just be significant for them. What we say or do might just make a difference for them.
This is why Carol always leaves a note to the maid along with the good news in written form in every motel room we use…along with a tip. You never know when it will make a difference in someone’s life. This is why some people smile at every clerk or waitress who serves them. You never know when your smile will encourage. This is why I like to carry my family story, THE FOUR STORMS in written form. You never know when it will be significant for someone you meet. While landing in Kansas City a few years ago on a ministry trip, I leaned across the empty seat beside me and re-engaged the man I had met earlier. He was just awakening from his nap. I offered him something I had written about a difficult experience in our family. Taking it, he put it in his briefcase. Then I asked him how I could pray for him (he knew I was a pastor, so it wasn’t too weird to follow God’s Spirit and ask this question). His answer made me realize why I was traveling to Chicago that day. His family was experiencing the same pain our family had experienced. I don’t know what significance my story had for him. But, when God pulled back the curtain and let me peak into his life, I realized that, even though we had self-selected our seating on that Southwest flight, Someone else had strategically planted me.
Be aware. You just might be a “mole” for Jesus!
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