One of William Barclay’s friends tells the following story: In the church where he worshiped there was a lonely old man, old Thomas. He had outlived all his friends and hardly anyone knew him. When Thomas died, this friend had the feeling that there would be no one to go to the funeral so he decided to go, so that there might be someone to follow the old man to his last resting-place.

There was no one else, and it was a miserable wet day. The funeral reached the cemetery, and at the gate there was a soldier waiting. An officer, but on his raincoat there were no rank badges. He came to the graveside for the ceremony, then when it was over, he stepped forward and before the open grave swept his hand to a salute that might have been given to a king. The friend walked away with this soldier, and as they walked, the wind blew the soldier’s raincoat open to reveal the shoulder badges of a brigadier general.

The general said, “You will perhaps be wondering what I am doing here. Years ago Thomas was my Sunday School teacher; I was a wild lad and a sore trial to him. He never knew what he did for me, but I owe everything I am or will be to old Thomas, and today I had to come to salute him at the end.” Thomas did not know what he was doing.²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, again today I am available. Please make me usable and use me today to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way to every life I touch so that I will have an influence on others, not only for time, but also for eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6 (TLB)(NLT).

2. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com.