5 October | Youth
«You did not choose Me, but I chose you.» John 15:16
One of the first memories I have from childhood is leaving church after the service carrying my father's briefcase. I made a point of parading down the church aisle, as if I were the pastor myself. For that red-haired boy, it was a privilege to be called “little pastor.”
My father, Manoel Andrade, did not have the same opportunity as me to be born into an Adventist home. He accepted Christ at age 14 in an evangelical church and later discovered the Seventh-day Adventist Church, being baptized when he was seventeen.
After finishing his degree in Accounting, he felt in his heart the desire to become a pastor. But how would he achieve his dream if he did not have the financial means? The best solution was to go canvassing (selling books door to door). He managed to get half the amount needed to study at the Adventist college in the Northeast of Brazil, known as Educandário Nordestino Adventista (ENA). He bought a ticket to Recife and prayed for God to open another door.
One Friday, my father only had ten cents in his wallet and his ticket. How would he travel to Pernambuco without money? That night, he went into his room and, alone, sought the Lord in tears. He felt God speaking in a powerful way: “Do not be afraid, I am with you! The Lord will provide!”
On Sabbath morning he went to church. He attended Sabbath School and was part of the platform at the worship service. During the offertory, the church pastor opened his wallet, handed over his offering and then took two bills and put them in my father's suit pocket, saying they were to help with travel expenses. After the service, the chief deacon went to the front of the church and told the members that “little” Manoel needed help. At the end of the service, many brought money and placed it in my father's hands. That gesture was a confirmation of God’s call.
When he arrived at his house, Manoel entered the room and counted the money donated by the church members. He had $310, plus the ten cents he had before. With that amount, he was able to go to school. If he had not traveled that Saturday night, he would never have been a pastor, he would not have married my mother (who lived near ENA) and certainly someone else would have written this devotional. What is your dream in life? Have you placed it in God's hands?