My son Robbie brought me a short devotion he read from his daily devotional book entitled “My Quiet Time” printed by Student Discipleship Ministries in Ft. Worth, Texas. I would like to share it with you.

It was a story of a mission pastor who was visiting a leper colony. He would play and sing and he would ask the people for requests that they liked to sing. There was a woman who had been keeping her back to the others and when the requests were being heard, she raised her hand that had several fingers missing.

As she turned around her nose, ears and lips were missing also. The song that she requested was “Count your Blessings,” name them one by one. One of the staff personnel had asked the pastor if he would ever sing that song again and he replied, “Yes, but never in the same way.”

While serving as the post chaplain at South Post Chapel in Seoul Korea in 1988, I was asked to speak at the morning worship service at a Presbyterian Blind School. This was a school that took in blind Koreans and taught them how to read using the Braille system and schooled them through high school. They would also teach them the love that Jesus had for them personally.

I had prepared my message to preach and as I crossed the Han River toward the outskirts of Seoul, I felt led to change my message and to speak on “spiritual blindness.” To speak to a group of blind people and to have “communion” with them was a most humbling experience. Not only did these Koreans enthusiastically sing the great hymns of faith, but the spirit of Christ was all over their faces.

When I passed the elements to each of the students they would smile and hold out their hands to receive “in remembrance” the body and blood of Jesus. Since they were blind, they would have to wait for your touch to receive the elements. The elements that I served these wonderfully brave Christians were wet from my tears that I couldn't stop from flowing.

I had come to minister to them and it was I who was ministered to.

Now whenever we have communion in our church, I am reminded of those Korean Christians and for me communion is never the same.

Thank God every day for salvation through Christ and for the thousands of blessings we hold.

He who has ears let him hear. Blessed are those who believe and have not seen.

The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community Church (SBC) and a substitute school teacher in the Fayette County School System, and a former Army chaplain. The church is currently meeting in the American Legion Log Cabin across from the fountain on the Square in Fayetteville. Prayer line (770)-719-2365; e-Mail Khern2365@aol.com

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