Never say NEVER! It will get you in trouble and cause you to eat crow quicker than anything I know of. You remember the time when Jesus was washing the feet of his disciples in the Upper Room. When he came to Peter, he said " You will never wash my feet". Almost immed- iatly Peter had to eat crow for Jesus said to him "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
Again Peter, in a conversation with Jesus, said "I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!"
You remember what happened. Just as Jesus had pre- dicted Peter was asked by the girl at high priest's gate, "You are not one of his disciples, are you? Peter replied, "I am not."
Later "As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, 'You are not one of his disciples, are you?' He denied it saying, 'I am not.'"
"One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him. 'Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?' Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow."
I can vouch for the same kind of thing happening in my life. Several years before I entered the ministry I worked in an industrial plant doing precision grinding. I was working second shift so I was able to do other work for five or six hours a day. I had considerable experience and had the necessary equipment to paint houses, so I would bid on a house and if I got the bid I would hire other men to help me complete the job in good time. One time I hired our pastor, John Baxter, to help me. While we were working on one house, John made the comment, "Earl, I think you could do about anything." My response was, "John, I think you are right. I guess I can do anything that I put my mind to." His response was immediate, "How about preaching?" And mine was just as quick, "No, not that, never!"
It wasn't but two or three years until I felt the call to do what I had said 'Never' to. John had moved to southern Indiana and Vernard Cox as then our pastor. I got in touch with Vernard and he called Paul Barnett, the Iowa Superintendent. Paul came and met with us and informed me that there was a Meeting near Oskaloosa , Iowa that was in need of a pastor, and that with William Penn College just 15 miles away I could take classes there and begin work toward a college degree.
We met with the pastoral committe at New Sharon, Iowa and they recommended to the Monthly Meeting that I be extended the call to serve as their pastor.
Sure enough I was now entering the field of pastoral ministry about which I had declared, "No, not that, never!"
So I suggest to all of you reading this message "Be very careful when you say NEVER." You too may have to eat crow.
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