My last post was an account of how Owen and Priscilla Carr befriended Pat and me. Healthy friendships are learning experiences, and the teacher is often unaware that learning is actually occurring. The process appears to be spontaneous, is unplanned, and unexpected. But, I believe, friendships are arranged in heaven. Our God who declared that he works everything together for good, orchestrates encounters to form his people more perfectly into the image of his dear son. He even predestines our friendships. (Romans 8:28-30)
Shortly after we married, Pat and I attended an evening lecture lasting more than two hours. That memorable night Francis Schaeffer taught, “Everything we see began with an idea. Ideas, dreams, vision, he added, must then be shared with others. As a result of sharing what is hidden to the masses, others can embrace and help facilitate the idea or vision.” Schaeffer then went on, “Most dreams or visions die because the one with whom God has entrusted the idea is afraid to share it with others.”
Owen Carr taught and modeled several ministry and life lessons which have equipped us more to be more effective. I share the first. Brother Carr taught us to be comfortable with vision, the ability to see what is still hidden to others. From our first conversation until our most recent, Owen Carr dares to share what God has shown him, secrets from God’s heart.
During our first visit, Brother Carr nearly gushed with enthusiasm for Channel 38, a Christian television station whose power and influence was just beginning to unfold in Chicago. I was amazed because he could see everything, even though little of it actually existed. It seemed like he was flipping through an album of photos showing me what was still a dream. Faith was not a nebulous, foggy phantom. Faith was real and a motivating dream. Things were already happening, most people just couldn’t see it yet.
Several years later, I was reading Hebrews 13 and understood from a fresh perspective, By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
Moses succeeded because he could see what was hidden to others. Others had ideas, dreamed, and harbored secret visions, but fell victim to their own cowardice, or failure to hold on until the secret thing could be shared and become reality.
Concerning vision, Brother Carr taught me by word and example
• How to properly share a dream. I learned how to take the right people into confidence and enlist their prayers. I have learned that God-given visions can be squandered when carelessly announced, before the germ of an idea is strong enough for exposure to the doubting elements of the masses.
• That dreams and hard work are constant companions. Owen Carr is more than 20 years my senior, but has often out-worked me and men younger than me.
Like Moses, visionaries can see the invisible. Like creative musicians who hear music before it is performed, God speaks entrusting people with what most cannot hear. Then He deploys them to do what everyone else believes is impossible. In short, visionaries like Owen Carr see the invisible, hear the inaudible and then do the impossible.
Thank God for the serendipitous introduction to an important friendship.
P.S. Yesterday we learned that Priscilla, Owen’s wife for over 70 years, has a malignancy in her right sinus. We enlist you to pray with us for the Carrs.
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