A Calendar and A Coke

“Do you know a man named David? Tall, white, bald man named David?” A boutique owner asked me when I ducked in to buy a coke on our recent trip to another country for a conference.

“Yes, I know who you’re talking about” I replied. “But he’s not here this year” I explained. The man he spoke of is in the US for an extended home assignment. He and his family did not attend the conference.

“David always gives me calendars. The calendars are excellent and the dates are always right. He gives me calendars every year. They’re the only calendars that have the right dates for all the holidays.” I knew he was referring to the Muslim holidays based on the lunar calendar. “There is no other calendar that always has the right dates. His calendars are perfect every year. The calendars from Saudi Arabia aren’t always right” he went on.

I smiled. I knew exactly the calendars he was talking about because I’m the person who makes them almost every year. “Sorry, David isn’t here this year but I can get you a calendar” I said. “I’ll come back tomorrow with a calendar for you.”

The shop owner was elated. I was encouraged. I don’t always know if my work is worth the effort. I question the usefulness of the Scripture calendars each year as I make them. The coordinating process isn’t always fast or easy to facilitate. There are usually mistakes and naysayers who point out the problems while refusing to be part of the solution. And now, two countries away from home there were people asking for God’s Word in the form of a yearly calendar and letting me know how valuable they are. Sure, he wanted the calendar to know when to celebrate Ramadan and Mohammed’s birthday, but God’s Word doesn’t return void.