Peter Blinkilde, Central Bay District Co-Lay Leader, shares a personal story to remind us that we never know when or how we may be called upon to show God’s love.
PETER BLINKILDE
Central Bay District Co-Lay Leader
“The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38, NASB).
Happy New Year, and I wish you many blessings in 2025. In the Central Bay District, we have been focused on Love Reaching Out, and I am reminded of an experience in 2024 where that actuality occurred. I am sharing it because it reminds us that we never know when or how we may be called upon to feel or show God’s love.
My wife and I took a five-week trip from Iceland to Alaska to see landscapes and wildlife and appreciate the history, art, and culture of those who live near and above the Arctic Circle. While that would have been more than enough to experience, we received so much more. In hindsight, the sequence of events was incredible — nothing we could have planned.
Our first day in Iceland started as a very bad day. My wife had a terrible migraine triggered by lack of sleep and changing time zones on an overnight flight. Our hotel room wasn’t going to be ready until the afternoon. Even with medications, we were just hoping to survive the day. As Karin’s migraine eased, we got something to eat and walked around Reykjavik. The day was exhausting, and after having time to rest in our room, we were still pretty wiped out. For dinner, we went to the closest place just down from the hotel entrance. It looked nondescript and was nearly empty when we arrived. The meal was excellent, and while we were waiting for the check, another couple came in and were seated next to us.
Living Water Being Poured In
The conversation started with the usual: our names, where we were from, and so on. Mark is a retired Baptist minister, and his wife, Janet, is his ministry partner. We talked about church and retirement life. The cool part was hearing how they were spending their retirement. They were taking the Word of God around the world. They had done mission work when pastoring churches. Having received an inheritance, they decided to continue mission work in this new season of life.
Our check came, and their food arrived. We thought it was time to leave, but they kept engaging us. Instead of taking a connecting flight, they had decided to spend the night in Reykjavik. Their mission was to connect with us. They brought energy and excitement to the conversation and truly uplifted us. We left feeling refreshed and excited.
Two days later, we went to Hallgrímur’s Church to attend a 10 am service. It was partly to attend worship, but we also hoped to hear their magnificent pipe organ. They closed the sanctuary to tourists for the service, and we were told by an usher that we could not go in. While we waited for the usher to return so I could explain we were there for the service, an older gentleman (meaning my age) approached us, asked if we were there to worship, and invited us to follow him in. We were shepherded in and made to feel most welcome in a service with just 30 attendees and no organ music. It was a beautiful service in Icelandic, but the rhythm and feel of the service combined with an English translation was wonderful. Then we got asked to join them for coffee and sandwiches afterward. We were made welcome and enjoyed great conversation. We missed the organ music but did not miss the light of the Spirit beaming around us and filling us again with God’s living water.
Time to Pour It Back Out
We were in a good frame of mind when it was time to cruise to Alaska. On day five, when we were in the dining room, one of our servers (I will call him Joe) noticed a pendant I was wearing. Usually, it is under my T-shirt; I am not sure why it was out. The pendant is a remembrance of a trip to Israel. There is a menorah at the top (a reminder of our Jewish heritage), followed by the Star of David (announcing the birth of Christ), and at the bottom, a fish (representing Christ).
Joe’s question was simple, “Are you a Christian?” Karin and I responded yes. Then he asked, “When there is time, I have some questions,” and we responded that would be great. As the cruise went on, we had time to find out that he was a more recent Christian, that he hadn’t always led a Christian life, and that he felt he was a poor example prior to being on fire with Christ. We learned that working on cruises is hard, with six months on and then two months off. There is a lot of time away from family. Joe was now part of a motorcycle ministry in the Philippines and did Bible study with friends online. We talked about the book of John, how the Trinity works, and the nature of God. We brought up the movie The Shack, which he then watched that night. While we were doing our best to minister to him, he was also ministering to us. He opened a new world to us, more than just the wonders north of the Arctic Circle, that truly enhanced our experience.
One of our other delightful servers (I will call her Sarah) was more private and reserved. Our impression was there was unhappiness under the surface. It had become evident that Joe had shared some of our conversations with Sarah. We had no specific discussions about Christ with her, but we felt Sarah was still seeking during conversations with us. I carried a wooden handheld cross that had been given to me. It became apparent over time that I should pass it on. When I offered it to Sarah as a gift, she snatched it off the table. What made it even more wonderful was she came back later and asked if I really meant it and offered it back. I told her I meant it. It also turned out that her family back in the Philippines made furniture, and the impression she left was more crosses would be made from that one.
In hindsight, making disciples for Christ doesn’t always mean bringing in new people. It also includes lifting up those who are already disciples by showing them the love of God in us. This shows how God’s love, through others and in the most unexpected places, can lift each of us up. Living water both pours in and pours out. In Hebrew, “living water” is expressed as mayim chaim, which means constantly refreshing, replenishing, and refilling.
Last Updated on January 30, 2025