God Is Alive!
True Stories of God’s Active Presence in Our Lives
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
My Life Saver
Soon after I started attending Pilgrim Covenant Church, I was invited to be an usher. The Head Usher explained what my duties would be, and although I was nervous I accepted the responsibility.
You have to understand that I’m not very good at getting in front of people. It frankly gives me the “jitters”. My debut as an usher was actually several weeks away, but that didn’t help. I have this endearing trait of worrying about things and making a situation out to be worse than it really is.
By the Sunday that I was to usher, I was a ball of nerves. I got to the church a little early, and the Head Usher was kind enough to walk me through my part before everyone arrived.
Greeting the congregation at the door as they arrived wasn’t bad. I just had to welcome them and hand them a bulletin. However, the butterflies really started to riot in my stomach when it came time for me to walk down the aisle to the front of the church when it was time to collect the offering.
I walked down the aisle, paired with another usher who was on my right. At the front of the church we were to accept the offering plates, and then I was to go left and start the collection at the far end of the first pew. I was sweating and my hands were shaky as I handed the offering plate to the first person in the first seat of the first row.
That person happened to be a member of the church who suffered with a debilitating disease that affected his brain. To my surprise, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Life Saver candy. It was one of the mint kinds, in its own little wrapper. He placed the Life Saver in the offering plate and passed it on to the person to his right.
I remember choking on a laugh at the time. Then the significance dawned on me. A Life Saver? Why would he put a Life Saver in the offering plate, on what happened to be my first day as an usher? I took this as a sign that my own personal life Savior was telling me to relax. What I was doing was in service to the church, which should be an easy thing to do. This small act took all my fears away.
I’ll never know why that person put the Life Saver in the offering plate that day, but I still think about it every time I usher. I also remember that small Life Saver when new challenges make me nervous, and my fears are released.
- Rodney L.
Formats
Book Details
Recognition Programs
About the Book
God is always up to something. Days, weeks, or months may pass without us being aware that God is at work in the ordinary stuff of our lives—in hidden and mysterious ways, as well as in perfectly obvious and unmistakable ways. God is Alive! presents a collection of personal stories that illustrate how God is really at work in today’s world. Shared by members of the Pilgrim Covenant Church in Granby, Connecticut, the stories reveal true, everyday encounters with God through personal trials, private journeys, uncanny events, unexpected blessings, special signs, and miraculous comfort in times of pain. God is Alive! includes a diverse offering of beyond-coincidence experiences that reflect common themes of new hope and healing, uplifted spirits, and peace that passes understanding—all blessings from a living God. From momentous occasions to seemingly insignificant events, God is Alive! communicates the redemptive presence of God. The stories demonstrate God’s unmistakable love, providential care, and gentle hand in every part of our lives.
About the Author
“The stories in this collection were contributed by the congregation of the Pilgrim Covenant Church in Granby, Connecticut. We are a Christ-centered church which seeks to proclaim and live out the Gospel by serving each other and those around us. Though modest in size, we are blessed with a distinct feeling of community and a strong sense of belonging to a close, caring church family.” Visit the church online at www.pilgrimcovenantchurch.org.