To read: Acts 7:30-34
New Revised Standard Version Bible,"Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 'I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look.
"Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.'"
copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
To think about:
Moses, 
what are you thinking? You can't be serious about this call from God! Isn't that the response that someone hearing about Moses' situation today would make? After all, why would Moses even want to accept God's call to again attempt to save his people? Moses was probably very comfortable living safely in Midian for the past 40 years. He had his family and was reaching his "golden years" when one usually thinks about moving to a gated community to live a stress-free life. After all, hadn't he done his share? Let someone else do God's work! How often can God expect us to answer his call to serve?
Catherine, a woman I worked with years ago at Newberry State Hospital, was also poised to enjoy the traditional "good life." She had retired from the state hospital after spending many years providing exceptional nursing care to many patients with serious mental health problems. Her family was raised, and she cared for her husband until his death. I would suspect that she had also endured many of life's trying and difficult times. When she retired, she was probably "burned out." It would have been easy for her to choose the rewards of warm winters in Florida, leisure time at the lake in the summer, and a safe, stress-free life at her home in Newberry.
But God called Catherine. God called her to be an active Christian in her church, teaching Christian love and values to young and old alike. Since her retirement, Catherine has traveled far and worked in 65 voluntary mission trips. She has been to Russia, Jamaica, India, Costa Rica, and Haiti. In the eighth decade of her life, Catherine has assisted in constructing a school for the deaf in Russia and building a cement block house for a family living under cardboard boxes in India. She has put on roofing, installed floors, put up dry wall, and participated in many other building projects. Obviously God called Catherine to serve, but I want to know, "Catherine, what are you thinking?"
To pray:
Heavenly Father, I pray for your help to keep my mind and heart open so that I might hear your call and have the courage to answer it. Amen.
Northern Great Lakes Synod Council member
Messiah Lutheran Church, Marquette, Mich.