DURATION V. DONATION

Sometimes, the hanging of a fresh year's calendar is cause for reflection. What will happen this coming year? Did my life this past year make a difference for someone? What could I change? Despite medical advances, for every one of us (unless Christ returns beforehand, of course), there will be two dates after our names: one for birth, one for death. For some, the hyphen between those dates will be long. For others: very, very short.

The “short” hyphen marked the dates for missionary pioneer Winfield Macomber: 1865-1896. Yes, he died at 31, in Portugal, en route home to Maine from mission work in the Congo. But during his brief life, after missionary training at a Christian college, he plunged into ministry in the Congo. In four years he learned enough of the tribal language to compile a grammar and dictionary for future missionaries, plus teach the Congolese language at his college alma mater (now known as Nyack College).

Linguistic work occupied most of his time, but he left behind a hymn known as “Safe is my refuge, sweet in my rest.” Its refrain goes like this:

Oh! what wonderful, wonderful rest!

Trusting completely in Jesus I'm blest;

Sweetly He comforts and shields from alarms,

Holding me safe in His mighty arms.*

Sometimes I'm saddened how the historical faith and sacrifices of mission work go unheralded. They may lack the glitz and media appeal of contemporary Christian “stars” of the pulpit and music stages. But God sees every heart and act of ministry “down here.” And He's aware of those who have settled for mediocrity or blandness in their faith walks.

In writing that last sentence, I think of a God-arranged encounter I had during graduate school. I was hurting deeply as a single thirty-something; the previous year, my parents had died six months apart. After moving home for a year to handle paperwork and empty their home, I'd returned to a Christian college where I'd started a graduate degree that I hoped would open doors in my vocation.

One day, I wandered into the college coffee shop. Its booths were full except for one, whose sole occupant waved me over. After introductions, I shared my grief as an age-32 adult orphan, and my hopes for the future. A week or so later, I returned there and saw the same person. As I sat down across from her, she handed over a paper and said, “God showed me this verse for you.” This was the verse—Hebrews 6:10:

“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”

She added, “You've been faithful to the Lord. He will be faithful to you.”

She had no idea how our chance encounter in the college coffee shop would become the extra-boost of hope I needed. As God stretched my faith over the next couple years, I learned (as did Winfield Macomber) that our merciful, loving God does hold us “safe in His mighty arms,” tenderly watching as we move forward in faith.

The piano score for this lesser-known but encouraging hymn is here:

Held in His Mighty Arms | Hymnary.org

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