God's Smuggler

Brother Andrew with John & Elizabeth Sherrill

1967, (updated) 2001

I was a kid when I first heard about Brother Andrew and the work that God had called him to.

In fact, I read his story as a comic book when I should have been listening in church.

My life was certainly not changed by a cartoon Brother Andrew!  

Fast forward a few years...

Now, having just read the "real" book, I see things differently.

God’s Smuggler.

It's a "must-read" on every reader's list.

While Brother Andrew’s salvation story is fascinating in itself, what is even more incredible, is how God has used him since.

God called Andrew to be a smuggler.

A Bible Smuggler.

Brother Andrew has smuggled Bibles, and other Christian literature, into Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, East Germany, and Bulgaria.

Communist countries behind The Iron Curtain.

And when the Iron Curtain collapsed, Andrew’s organization, Open Doors, moved into China, Vietnam, Africa, Cuba, and the tightly controlled land of Islam.

To quote from the Open Doors Canada website,

In 2008, Open Doors delivered almost 3.9 million Bibles, children's Bibles, Study Bibles and other scriptural books and literature to persecuted Christians worldwide, and trained 114,400 pastors and church leaders...

Isn't God good?

What touched me personally about God’s Smuggler, however, is how involved God was and is in this work. 

God didn’t just call Brother Andrew to smuggle Bibles then let him go at this impossible task alone.

Brother Andrew sought God.

Impossibly.
Constantly.

And,

God worked.

God acted.

God answered.

Why does this touch me so deeply?
Because I have often felt overwhelmed by the task God has called me to.

But, just like Brother Andrew, God doesn’t just call me to something then let me go at it alone. 
He gives me the tools I need for completion.

When God calls, and I prayerfully follow,

God works.

God acts.

God answers.

Even to the seemingly impossible.

What faith-building, encouragement for me. 

Especially in this season of motherhood and church leadership.

1 Peter 4:11, "...If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ."

Reading on...

NERDS

by Michael Buckley

2009

As a parent, I want to know what my kids are being fed.

And I’m not referring to food.

Rather, what are their sources of influence?

As a result, my hubby and I keep a close watch on content.

What’s in the TV shows and movies they watch?

What’s in the computer games they play?

What’s in the books and magazines they read?

As attentive parents, we want to be sure that all their choices are age appropriate. What might work for Son #1, who’s 10, might not work for Son #2, who’s 6.

And we hold the right to veto.

(Veto decisions are not always popular, but age is always a worthy scapegoat.)

As Christian parents, however, we take this screening process, and our right to veto, a step further:

We also watch for “Light Content”.

Light Content?

Basically,

Does the movie, computer game, book, etc. honour God’s Word, and thus influence my children for light?

Or, does it shun His Word, and thus influence my children for darkness?

Jesus says in John 8:12,

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

And in Matthew 12:30,

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

As you can imagine, our desire for Light Content doesn’t always make us very popular on the homefront.

However, God has given us the gift of raising our kids and we want to do it in a way that glorifies Him. 

Even if our popularity goes down in the polls.

All of that to say this:

When Son #1 discovered a new series of books that he couldn’t put down, couldn’t stop talking about, and used successfully to reduce Son #2 to tears, I figured I’d better read at least one.

NERDS.

National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society.

A series of books about unlikely pre-teen super spies sent out to save the world from an even more unlikely bunch of evil genius super villains.

And my son loves them. 

Sigh.

So, I read book #1.

There’s truly not much about this book that a ten year old boy wouldn’t like.

School lockers leading to spy headquarters.

Braces spewing out of mouths as the ultimate weaponry.

Nerds saving the world from complete and utter destruction.

A feast for boyhood imagination.

I am quite certain I will only be reading the first of the series, but my son has devoured all the others:

Book #2: M is for Mama’s Boy

Book #3: The Cheerleaders of Doom

Book #4: The Villain Virus

Imagine his delight when I told him Hollywood is making a NERDS movie. Let’s just hope it’s high in Light Content.

Reading on...