The Chain by Sharon Heagy

 

        In the late 70’s I moved from Winnipeg to Saskatoon and ended up working in an office downtown. While there I met a myriad of people from many walks of life and faith. One wonderful young lady I met, Linda, was about my age and wore her faith like a cloak exuding love and kindness everywhere she went. She hadn’t been working there very long when she decided to follow what she believed was a call from God. She left Saskatchewan to go and work with the people living on East Hastings Street in Vancouver, providing needs and showing the love of God to each one. She related the story of the ‘talents’ which had stirred her heart to use the gifts that God had given her for His purposes, to further His kingdom. Before she left, she gave me a gift. A small silver dove on a chain. On the back of the dove were these words – ‘Come, Holy Spirit. Enlighten me.’

I wore that chain almost every day, the dove dangling around my neck reminding me from time to time that God loved me. It was a treasured gift, though I did not entirely understand its meaning at the time. I knew about the Holy Spirit but hadn’t yet experienced His guidance and comfort, at least not that I recognized.

Years passed and eventually I came to know Him personally. To trust his gentle guiding hand and whispered words. Though I do not know Him completely even still, I cannot imagine how I ever walked in this world without Him. He is a constant presence through joy and sorrow, through exciting days and mundane tasks. And whatever I do, including writing, I can only do with God’s hand upon me. For as Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

He gifts me and enables me as I lean on Him.

He has shown us the way many times as my husband and I have farmed God’s land and had the privilege of taking care of some of His cattle. We have tried to put all things in His hands, well, most of the time.

One day when we were combining something was scratching my neck. My hand went up to brush the annoyance away but found a broken metal chain without a dove. I shook my clothes and searched the ground. I sifted dirt through my fingers but found nothing. Prayer gushed forth from my heart as I knew that God knew where the dove was. I asked Him to lead me to it as I walked and searched all that evening and the next morning. Nothing.

But then I knew. A revelation. Linda’s prayer had been answered. The Holy Spirit had enlightened me and I no longer needed a dove of remembrance for the Holy Spirit himself was inside me, always present.

My prayer began to be that someone else who needed the dove would find it. My belief is that someone prayed for Linda before she knew the Lord, just as she prayed for me. Now my prayers go up for others too, silently and through the written word. Though a physical chain was broken, a spiritual chain was built by God’s own hand, for his purposes. An eternal chain that can never be broken and continues to grow daily. Hallelujah and Amen.