What is Your Light Bulb Moment?
March 1927. A young Scotsman stood at the crossroads of destiny.
He had his orders. Crystal clear. Unmistakable. God had called him from Scotland to America. But there was a problem.
He didn’t know how. Didn’t know when. Didn’t know where.
All he knew was that his Chief—capital C—had spoken.
So, he went.
April 5, 1927. The young man stepped off the boat onto American soil. In his pocket, not much money. In his heart, a dream bigger than the Atlantic he’d just crossed.
He took a job in New Jersey. Just to survive. Then, he started teaching a men’s Bible class in Birmingham, Alabama. Nothing fancy. Just a Scottish immigrant sharing what he knew about God.
The men loved him. Week after week, they showed up to hear this young man talk about faith and purpose and the God who keeps His promises.
Then came the acceptance letter. Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. A door had opened. But seminary costs money. Money, he didn’t have.
That’s when the envelope arrived.
The men from his Bible class had written. They knew God had called him. They knew the road ahead would be hard. The enemy would fight him. Discouragement would knock on his door.
So, they wrote him a check. For the entire first year.
You cannot out-dream God.
The young Scotsman graduated. Took a pastorate. Then another. Each step, not knowing where the path led. Just following the Light that had been turned on in Scotland years before.
And then it happened.
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. called. Not just any church. The church. The church of presidents. Abraham Lincoln had sat in those pews.
The young Scotsman said yes.
He thrived there. His sermons echoed through the halls of power. His prayers moved hearts. And then came the ultimate honor—Chaplain of the United States Senate.
The boy from Scotland was now praying for America’s leaders. Opening sessions of Congress with words that called a nation back to God.
He served until his death at forty-six. Far too young. But his legacy? His legacy thundered on.
His name was Peter Marshall.
And perhaps you’ve heard of his wife—Catherine Marshall—who wrote his story in a book that sold millions. A Man Called Peter.
That Scottish immigrant who stepped onto American soil with nothing but a calling and a promise? God didn’t give him a roadmap.
He gave him something better.
He gave him His presence. And He said, “I’m with you.”
That was enough.
Keep Looking Up!
Heaven is closer than you think.
May God bless your day.
Related devotionals: Pascal’s Night of Fire · Mary McLeod Bethune story · What God wants you to do
Want more from Pastor Rodney?
If today’s devotional spoke to your heart, my books carry these same themes deeper. Stories of God moving in ordinary lives, scripture for tired pastors and weary parents, and steady reminders that heaven is closer than you think.