Whitney Williams: If they only knew

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Tuesday, November 15th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Last Tuesday, WORLD commentator Whitney Williams shared a remarkable story of God’s grace in response to prayer. Wasn’t that good?

REICHARD: Such a salve to the soul.

EICHER: The response from listeners has been encouraging and somewhat overwhelming.

REICHARD: One example came from Kathy Sherwood who wrote in to say she was in tears after listening to the story. She said, “What a great reminder of the goodness of God!”

EICHER: That’s just one of many kind notes that’ve come in and Whitney wanted to take a moment here to reflect on all of that.

WHITNEY WILLIAMS, COMMENTATOR: Last week I got vulnerable on this podcast, telling a story of parental heartache and desperation, of wrestling with God through anger and anguish, and of God answering me with incredible mercy. After the piece aired, I received a flurry of positive feedback about how God was using me.

To be on the receiving end of such praise, well, I’m not gonna lie. It felt good! Most of all, I was amazed to hear the Lord used my words to encourage others to pray. Me, of all people? Not that I’m writing for man’s approval, but I can be very hard on myself, so the outpouring of encouragement was a true gift from the Lord. “They like me. They really like me!” I thought.

Then I moved my couch.

“Oh … my …”

The mess underneath could have gagged a maggot.

“If these listeners only knew …” I thought to myself, as I tightened the strings of my robe, tucked my unkempt hair behind my ears, and walked to the laundry room to get my handheld vacuum.

“If they only knew about the mess this podcast writer has underneath …”

“If they only knew about my college days … That I don’t read my Bible like I should … That at times I struggle with doubt, questions …”

If they only knew that God uses people like THAT: People who don’t always have perfect grammar. People who tend to jump first and think later. If they only knew that God uses people who are sometimes short with their kids, people who disrespect their spouse at times; the uneducated; people who struggle with worry, vanity, sadness.

If they only knew that God uses people like that, people who don’t always get it right. People like me.

“But I have a feeling that most of our listenership DOES know … they already know about this grace,” I pinged Paul Butler, our executive producer, in the heat of my brainstorming …

“We may know grace,” he typed back, “but it’s kinda like love … We need to hear it expressed often.”

His statement certainly rang true for me. I often forget the work of Jesus Christ on my behalf.

So what then? What makes me qualified for His high calling? What makes you qualified when your spirit is willing, but your flesh is tired and weak, as was the case with Jesus’ disciples in the garden of Gethsemane? What makes you qualified when you have a thorn in your side and a messenger of Satan is constantly harassing you, as was the case with Paul? When you’re too old like Abraham, too young like Jeremiah, a divorcee like the Samaritan woman, a prostitute like Rahab? What makes you qualified when you’ve cheated like Jacob, lusted and murdered like God’s friend David; when you’ve run like Jonah, or struggle with fear like Gideon?

Simply this, listener: God’s grace. God’s grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness.

Off to dust bust…

AUDIO: [VACUUM CLEANER]

I’m Whitney Williams.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Tuesday, November 15th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Last Tuesday, WORLD commentator Whitney Williams shared a remarkable story of God’s grace in response to prayer. Wasn’t that good?

REICHARD: Such a salve to the soul.

EICHER: The response from listeners has been encouraging and somewhat overwhelming.

REICHARD: One example came from Kathy Sherwood who wrote in to say she was in tears after listening to the story. She said, “What a great reminder of the goodness of God!”

EICHER: That’s just one of many kind notes that’ve come in and Whitney wanted to take a moment here to reflect on all of that.

WHITNEY WILLIAMS, COMMENTATOR: Last week I got vulnerable on this podcast, telling a story of parental heartache and desperation, of wrestling with God through anger and anguish, and of God answering me with incredible mercy. After the piece aired, I received a flurry of positive feedback about how God was using me.

To be on the receiving end of such praise, well, I’m not gonna lie. It felt good! Most of all, I was amazed to hear the Lord used my words to encourage others to pray. Me, of all people? Not that I’m writing for man’s approval, but I can be very hard on myself, so the outpouring of encouragement was a true gift from the Lord. “They like me. They really like me!” I thought.

Then I moved my couch.

“Oh … my …”

The mess underneath could have gagged a maggot.

“If these listeners only knew …” I thought to myself, as I tightened the strings of my robe, tucked my unkempt hair behind my ears, and walked to the laundry room to get my handheld vacuum.

“If they only knew about the mess this podcast writer has underneath …”

“If they only knew about my college days … That I don’t read my Bible like I should … That at times I struggle with doubt, questions …”

If they only knew that God uses people like THAT: People who don’t always have perfect grammar. People who tend to jump first and think later. If they only knew that God uses people who are sometimes short with their kids, people who disrespect their spouse at times; the uneducated; people who struggle with worry, vanity, sadness.

If they only knew that God uses people like that, people who don’t always get it right. People like me.

“But I have a feeling that most of our listenership DOES know … they already know about this grace,” I pinged Paul Butler, our executive producer, in the heat of my brainstorming …

“We may know grace,” he typed back, “but it’s kinda like love … We need to hear it expressed often.”

His statement certainly rang true for me. I often forget the work of Jesus Christ on my behalf.

So what then? What makes me qualified for His high calling? What makes you qualified when your spirit is willing, but your flesh is tired and weak, as was the case with Jesus’ disciples in the garden of Gethsemane? What makes you qualified when you have a thorn in your side and a messenger of Satan is constantly harassing you, as was the case with Paul? When you’re too old like Abraham, too young like Jeremiah, a divorcee like the Samaritan woman, a prostitute like Rahab? What makes you qualified when you’ve cheated like Jacob, lusted and murdered like God’s friend David; when you’ve run like Jonah, or struggle with fear like Gideon?

Simply this, listener: God’s grace. God’s grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness.

Off to dust bust…

AUDIO: [VACUUM CLEANER]

I’m Whitney Williams.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.