“You need a knife!” I stated as we sat at Culvers enjoying a meal, sitting outdoors at one of the patio tables (or at least they did because my stomach had felt sick all morning).  So, while I nursed my Sprite, they enjoyed a sandwich and then a custard; I enjoyed sipping on my drink.  Nonetheless, I was not going to allow my queasy stomach to keep me home while they “ran into town” to gather a few supplies she realized she did not bring for her six-month journey abroad.

“You need a knife!” I reiterated, “so we need to stop by Paul’s on the way home.”  They both looked at me and smiled because they knew the funny story about the man who needed directions, and the way I misled him, but that’s another story for another day.  For today, she needed a knife, and not just any knife but a Swiss Army Knife.

• The Bible narrative continues that Dorcas became sick & died.
• They lovingly prepared her body for death.
• Then the day of visitation arrived, so they placed her body in a room upstairs.
• They women who loved and knew Dorcas brought garments of clothing (tunics, etc) that Dorcas sewed when she lived.
• They wept there beside her dead body, wishing she were alive, wishing she had lived longer, & not wishing for her to be already gone.

Thank goodness, Dorcas’ story does not end there!

Thank goodness, Dorcas lives again—twice!

Thank goodness, we, too, who believe & who have received Christ Jesus—live again!

During WWII, there was a woman—Corrie Ten Boom—a woman much like Dorcas.  No, she was not known for her seamstress skill, but she was known for her habitual kindness and charity.  This past summer, I stood in a street in Harlem, The Netherlands, and as I gazed at Boom’s home “The Hiding Place,” I remembered her story. I remembered the way she hid Jewish women who needed protection from those who sought to arrest them. I remember the way she hid the others before the Nazis carried them to one of the Nazi Concentration Camps.  Sadness—that’s what filled my being & Joy—that’s what filled my heart.  The story goes that the “Hiding Place” was found and all living inside were arrested and taken to the camp (Corrie too, even through she was not a Jew).

If we stopped Boom’s story there, at her demise, we would only feel sadness and never any joy, and probably also true, we would never even remember her name.  Boom’s story does not end there.  Boom was a believer, a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ.  While living in the horribleness of the concentration camps with all the other women imprisoned there, she taught them the Word of God—from her memory! May we strive to “hide” the Word of God deep inside our hearts, useful & ready to share with others.

“The best learning I had came from teaching.”—Corrie Ten Boom

• As a disciple of Jesus Christ, we are to know Jesus.
• As a disciple of Jesus, the Son of God, we are to study God’s Word—daily.
• As a disciple of Jesus, the Savior of the world, we are to lead others to know Him.
• As a disciple of Jesus, the Messiah, we are to teach others, passing on the TRUTH, passing on what we know is the TRUTH of GOD.

How does the narrative of Tabitha (also known as Dorcas) & the narrative of Corrie connect with the story of the one we loved who was soon to leave us, who was leaving for a 6-month backpacking journey?  We are to pass on what we know to be the Truth of God.  We who believe, who have come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord are called to witness, to testify of the goodness of God, and to share the gospel message.

How do we accomplish this task?

• We respond to others in kindness, like Dorcas & Corrie.
• We respond to others in charity, like Dorcas & Corrie.
• We respond to others, habitually, as a useful “tool,” like the saints of God should be.
• We respond to others, useful & ready, like God calls us to be.
• We respond to others, useful to them in nature to a Swiss Army Knife—Like!

The story goes that we drove to Paul’s Discount and walked inside, focused on what we knew she needed, intent to buy for her what we knew she needed for her travels.  There, at the back of the store & displayed inside the case was exactly what she needed for her 6-month journey—A Swiss Army Knife!

Distinctly red in its case.

Petite in size, small enough for her to carry in her backpack.

Necessary Tools:

• The File.
• The Screwdriver.
• The Toothpick.
• The Corkscrew.
• The Punch.
• The Tweezers.
• On & On, so many tools & of course . . .
• The Knife Blade.

The family of God is comprised of numerous saints, people with talents and skills.  We are the “body of Christ,” who are each given a spiritual gift useful to our mission as a disciple of Christ.

• We are to be—On mission.
• We are to be—Useful to Others.
• We are to be—Much like a Swiss Army Knife (a case that houses many “tools”) useful in a variety of situations.

From the days of Tabitha (Dorcas), to the days of Simon (Peter), to the days of Corrie (a Dutch woman & not a Jew), to the days of us (Christians living in the 21^st Century)—many generations have gone by.

• How many generations will pass by before Jesus returns, we do not know.

So, we are to be On Mission, Useful to Others, A Swiss Army Knife—Like!

• How do we know this to be true?
• How do we know we are to remain a faithful disciple for our LORD?

The Bible tells us so.  Please see with me.