I ONCE heard the story George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona community told about himself and his namesake, a Church of Scotland minister, the Rev Dr Norman MacLeod.

They were good friends, but they were physically opposites. Norman Macleod was a very big man, tall, broad and strong; his friend on the other hand was small, thin and frail looking. One day the two of them plus their partners put out in a big open boat from Oban with a local fisherman at the oars. They were about a mile offshore when the weather took a sudden change for the worse. The boatman said to the four of them, "Ay, ladies and gentlemen, I am afraid, I have to tell you, that we must beat for the shore. But I also have to tell you, that, ay, we will not make it," and he pointed to the squall cloud which was catching up with them.

Not surprisingly there was consternation in the boat. Then Norman MacLeod’s lifelong friend, looking somewhat smaller and frailer than usual, turned to the ladies and said: "Ladies, should we ask Dr MacLeod to lead us in prayer?"

The ladies thought this was a good idea, but the boatman disagreed."Och, no, away with you! Let the wee mannie pray and let the big one take the oar!"

Too often we expect God to do it all for us when, in fact, sometimes God answers our prayers by saying, "I have given you gifts and graces, talents and strengths; use what I have given you."

The Rev Richard J Teal

Chairman of the Cumbria Methodist District