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Sometimes I look like David

Posted on August 22, 2023August 26, 2023 by Pam

David surprised everyone (except God and maybe Jonathan) when he became king. He did not look like a king. You know the account in I Sam 16:6-13. “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Get up and anoint him. He is the one.’ Samuel took the horn with the oil in it, and poured the special oil on Jesse’s youngest son in front of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord came on David with great power from that day on”.

It was God’s decision and God’s power. It was not obvious because people in the world have a worldly perspective. Not saying that person is not a good leader or a good believer but, “His ways are not our ways”, from Isaiah 55:9. God is perfect, holy, and sinless (I Pet 2:22, I John 3:5). That should reduce the surprise when a David is chosen. The people of Israel accepted David although they may have thought him an odd choice.

I want God to choose me. He may choose another but I am not an obvious choice as a missionary. Since retiring it has felt like a fight to be chosen. Am I to assume everyone else knows my future better than God? I don’t think so but I also want to be covered in the house of God. Am I stubborn or committed? Am I brave or stupid to think someone my age can go to the nations as we have all been assigned as believers to go someplace. It may, again, be across the street, across town, or across an ocean. I want to go and I also want to be here for my people. I thought it a brilliant solution to go for half a year every year until I can’t. I think that (I can’t) time will become obvious to everyone but God already knows and I trust Him to tell me. Today I met an 83 year-old past missionary who was telling me about Africa then about her current challenges – thus – she is done going most places. She asked my age but did not comment.

I wonder how surprised David was when he was chosen over his brothers. His challenge was opposite to mine – he was the youngest. Lately I am the oldest. The six months I served abroad this last year I was the oldest but it was a joy. It was the time of my life. Doesn’t that mean something? I am not a nurse, nor can I build a building. No one talent but many little talents the best of which is obedience. Would you have liked to have been the surprised father of David when God did not choose his best guess? I’m sure he loved all of his children but God chose. And why did he decide to leave David in the field? I’m thinking it was not the Cinderella debacle of hiding her away so she could not try on the glass slipper.

Luke 10:2 says, “Then He said to them, ‘The harvest IS great, but the laborers ARE FEW; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'” I’ll work for free.

"Thoughts from a genuinely evaluative mind."

Pam writes so that must make her a writer. Recently retired, she can now fill days with family, friends, missions, writing, creating, and showing up for whomever needs her. Pam loves the Lord and people. The Bible is God’s love letter to us (and who does not need more love) so she studies and writes some more.

Pam lives in the Pacific Northwest but was home-grown in Southern California. She attended San Jose Bible College and finished a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry at UCLA. She became a teacher, then a Research and Development Chemist, then she built two successful real estate businesses in two states. Pam also pursued study at Fuller Theological Seminary and just completed six months serving in missions abroad.

Pam has two amazing children, married to two precious in-laws, and five sweet grandchildren. Pam is a gifted connector and communicator and the Northwest has the perfect climate for staying inside and writing – or baking! She has been writing since a wee one and is currently converting many years of blogging, by topic, into ten books. The first is a collection from 2011 titled, Beautiful Enough. The second is a yearly day-timer titled, Weekly Planner - Lessons in Life, Glory, and Grace. Number three is in progress with the working title, Christmas Today.

Ten facts about Pam in no particular order:

  1. On the team that developed an insulation for the Alaskan oil pipeline.
  2. Loves looking at homes, decorating, and has flipped five homes.
  3. Likes being tall.
  4. Films have helped define her vocabulary.
  5. Comes from Colorado tenement farmers with history traced to Wales.
  6. Was lost but now is found.
  7. Baking makes her happy – as does eating sweets with coffee, of course.
  8. She thinks mission work is the most important work in the world.
  9. The church started in Rome so she is learning Italian.
  10. Pam is a work in progress!

“I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” Isaiah 46:4

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