by Ernie Wyrick
On February 28, 2022, I preached at a funeral of the family member of a lady that I had not seen in years. I was recommended by another individual who was asked first, but due to some health issues, I could not preach at the funeral. I preached the graveside service and then met more family and friends afterward. It wasn’t until Sunday, April 17, 2022, that I saw her again. She came forward at church and said she had gotten right with God. Praise the Lord.
On April 19, 2022, I was downtown in Greensboro, NC, with two other men. One of those men is a good friend who could not preach at the funeral. Praise the Lord that he is doing better and faithfully helping with the homeless outreach ministry each week.
I have written all that to give a little background for all that took place on April 22 – 23, 2022.
My friend that helps with the homeless outreach ministry asked me about going down to SC to help him, and another man fix a back porch on his sister’s mobile home. Another man had started the porch but had gotten sick and could not finish the job. I told him I would help him. We left about 6:45 on Friday morning, April 22nd. We got to his sister’s a little after 9:00 am and started work. Not long after we got started, I received a text from the lady that I had preached at her family member’s funeral and had just gotten right with God. The text said for me to call her. I called her, and she asked if I could do her a favor. I said yes if I can. She then told me about a cousin in the hospital in Winston Salem, NC, with cancer and was not expected to live. She wanted to know if I could visit him. I explained that I was in SC, and if she sent me his contact information, I would try to see him as soon as I got back to NC. I told her I would be praying.
I got off the phone, and the men and I prayed for this individual. As soon as we prayed, God laid it on my heart to call a Pastor friend in Winston Salem, NC. I called the number that came up on my phone, not knowing that it was the fax number for the church. The secretary was in the office and saw that the fax machine showed a phone call, and my name came up, so she answered. She told me that I called the church fax number and she saw my name and thought that she should answer it. I asked for the Pastor, but she said he was on the phone. I explained to her what was taking place and asked if He could go or knew someone else that could see this man.
I told her I would get her some more information as soon as I got it from the man’s cousin. She said she would tell the Pastor. She gave me the office number, and I hung up. I received the individual’s room number and phone number at the hospital just as I hung up with her. I then called the church back and gave her the information. I then contacted the individual that had contacted me first and let them know that I had contacted a Pastor in Winston Salem.
I didn’t hear anything else until around 12:30 Saturday afternoon, April 23rd. The Pastor from Winston Salem called and told me that the individual had gotten saved. I rejoiced with him. He then began to explain to me what had taken place. His secretary had given him the message that I had called, but something had come up with one of his elderly church members. That something was a backed-up toilet. She called her Pastor because he was a servant, and the elderly lady did not know who else to call. So, he went to this elderly lady’s home to help. But during this time, the Pastor and his wife were also working getting ready for a luncheon for the ladies of the church that was to be held the following day, Saturday, April 23rd. This Pastor had his hands full.
He was not able to make it to the hospital on Friday. But he was determined to go while they had the luncheon at the church on Saturday. And another thing, the Pastor was also leaving town after the luncheon for Ohio for a meeting. A lot was going on, but praise the Lord, the door opened, and he took the time to walk through it.
He made it to the hospital, introduced himself to the patient, and found out that he would not have been able to see the individual if he had come on Friday. The individual was in a procedure and couldn’t have been seen—what a God we serve.
When I called the Pastor on Friday, I didn’t know anything about the individual’s background, other than that he was lost, nor did I know much about the Pastor’s background. I had just felt led to contact this Pastor. Well, God knew exactly why I needed to contact this particular Pastor. When he got to the hospital and met the individual, the patient began telling the Pastor about his Holiness background and how he had just given up on it. He couldn’t live up to the expectations and had gotten discouraged and just walked away from that religion. Well, I know now why God wanted this, Pastor. Any Pastor could have probably helped this individual, but this Pastor was the one God wanted.
The Pastor’s dad was in the Holiness church before he got saved. This Pastor had dealt with his dad about it and was able to lead him to the Lord. So, you see, this Pastor knew exactly where this individual was coming from and could help him, with the Holy Spirit’s help, understand the Gospel and lead him to the Lord.
It is exciting to see how God worked everything out in His timing and according to His plan. From preaching a funeral and then seeing an individual from that graveside service get right with God weeks later. Then to see that same individual get a burden for a loved one, who then calls me, but I am out of town helping someone else, an inconvenience I thought because I wanted to rush over to the hospital to see this individual. But then God opened the door for a Pastor in Winston Salem to get involved. Then to see another inconvenience come up, at least we thought so. But then, to see God in His perfect timing bring everything together and a soul is saved, and another hears the Gospel message as well. What a God! What a Savior!
Don’t give up, no matter what may come into your path. God can take what we might think is an inconvenience and use it for His honor and glory. If we will be sensitive to His leading and follow through with His leading, there is no telling what God can do.
God be the glory!
Ernie Wyrick
Bro. Ernie and his wife, Nancy, serve as our missionaries in Delta Junction, Alaska. They have spent the last several months in NC caring for her parents. If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. Wyrick here to let him know.
He is survived by his wife, Shelby Broughton Eborn; daughters, Cathy Crabtree and Teresa Harris; son, Jerry (Sandra) Eborn; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
