Special in God’s Plans

I was hosting a video-based training program for the Evangelism Section of the SBC Home Mission Board in the late 1980s and I needed to interview someone who was a local church prayer coordinator.  I was introduced to Elaine Helms, who served with the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia.  She graciously agreed to the interview.  Later the same day of her interview I was informed that there was a glitch in the tape that created a loss of sound of several minutes right in the middle of the interview.  In some degree of fear, I called Elaine and asked her if she would return the next day and allow us to re-tape the missing portion of the interview.  Then I boldly asked her to wear the same dress with the same jewelry and to fix her hair the same way, so the new video would match the previous portion.  I was greatly relieved that she agreed. In the years to follow, I watched God use Elaine, a little-known local church prayer leader, to become a national prayer personality, an often-used speaker at prayer conferences, a fellow-member of America’s National Prayer Committee, and a best-selling author, who honored me by asking me to endorse two of her books. She even graciously wrote a chapter for one of my books, often reminding me of my strange request regarding her dress, jewelry and hair. I just received the news that Elaine arrived in heaven one week ago. She taught me to treat everyone you meet as if God plans to use them in mighty ways. I am just glad I got to be a part of Elaine’s journey. When you meet new people this week, treat them like they are special in God’s plans. They just might be one whom, “God has chosen . . . for Himself, a special treasure” (Deuteronomy 7:6).