Pressed Into Service

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair

(2 Corinthians 4:8)

A carpet of colorful leaves lay under the trees in my backyard.  Autumn winds had strewn them there.  Against a backdrop of still-green grass, they made a beautiful picture.  I gazed at it for a long time, trying to fix in my mind a memory for the winter days ahead.  Realizing it was impossible to fully capture and replay the scene, I decided to gather a few of the leaves and press them to enjoy later.

Walking around the yard, I stooped and gathered those suitable for my purpose; not too large, and pliable enough to be pressed without crumbling.  As I continued picking them up, the stack in my hand grew and I began wondering what special thing I could do with them.  It was then I thought of friends who live in other parts of the country where autumn is not a happening as it is in the Ozarks.   I decided to share some of the beauty with them.

When my hands could hold no more, I carried the leaves to my basement workroom and carefully arranged them between layers of cardboard and tissue paper, then secure each bundle with clamps and rubber bands.  These I carried into the furnace room, placed them under a stack of heavy books, turned out the light, and closed the door.  There they would remain until the drying process was complete.

Throughout the project, I was reminded of how God works in His servants’ lives to prepare us for purposes He has in mind.  Just as the leaves did not create their beauty, so any worth found in us is not of our doing but because of His generosity.

Just as I had a reason for selecting each of the leaves I gathered,  so does God.  I chose leaves of different sizes, shapes, and colors for variety.  God does the same.  To accentuate the brilliantly colored ones, I picked some of deeper hues.  God, too, uses the negative things we encounter to heighten the positive aspects of our lives.

If the leaves were capable of thinking and feeling, they would no doubt have wondered what was happening as wind plucked them from their place of security and carried them to the ground.  From there into clasping hands that carried them to a basement where they were arranged, covered, squeezed, and placed in a darkened, remote corner of the house.  Undoubtedly, they would not have felt loved, joyful, or of any special value.

For as long as I can remember, I have heard the phrase pressed into service used by fellow believers.  Until that day, working with the leaves, I was never sure what it meant.  Life experiences and many Scriptures bear out the truth that God uses those things that come our way to prepare us for the tasks He has planned.

Do you ever feel pressed down?  Have you been relegated to a dark corner where you are fulfilling no obvious service for the Lord?  Perhaps physical limitations, the need to earn a living, or caring for children or elderly parents, prevents you from assuming the active role for which you long.  If so, take heart.  As you faithfully fulfill your present duties, God may be preparing you for even greater purposes.

Prayerfully ask God to give you a sense of His Presence in your current situation.  Thank Him that He values you enough to include you in His plans.  And remember that, just like the leaves pressed and drying in my basement, God has not forgotten you.  One day the books, clamps, and rubber bands will be removed, the cardboard and tissue lifted away, and you will be ready to serve Him in new and satisfying ways.

Lord, I’ve been torn and tossed and driven by the cold and blustery wind,

And the things by which I’m driven seem to serve no certain end.

I’ve been pressed and squeezed so tightly, and confined in narrow space

That my means of serving Jesus seem to vanish without trace.

All around me in the darkness where no glimpse of light I see,

Help me feel that You are with me so contented I will be. 

Remind me long and often; give me faith to just believe,

That Your love and grace and mercy even now I can receive.

Thank You for conditions that in time You’re sure to use;

Make me willing, soft and pliant for each purpose that You choose.