Eric from The Pilgrim’s Progress has discovered the solution to the problem that has plagued Bible scholars for two thousand years: What was Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” which he talks about in 2 Corinthians 12:7?

Frank Viola has raised an interesting question this week on his blog in a post called “The Gospel for the Middle.”

He writes about a man named Fielding who lives with his wife and two children in a remote part of Maine. There are no decent churches within a one-hour drive, and while Fielding is interested in the things of God, he is not a reader. He doesn’t use the Web either. He’s a man who works with his hands, both for his career and for recreation. He’s an “outdoorsman.” He hunts, he builds, he does manual labor, etc. In his spare time, he helps his elderly parents with various building projects.

He sent this email to Frank Viola:

When I’m with my cousin once a year, I want to learn more about God. But when I come back home, and I’m around everyone else, my mind is off of God, and I am back to working, raising my kids, and helping my parents. Someone needs to come up with a solution for people like me . . . people who are in the middle. (By “in the middle,” Fielding means someone who believes in Jesus, but who isn’t fully absorbed in the faith yet either. They simply don’t know enough nor do they have any spiritual support system around them.)

Fielding and his wife don’t personally know any Christians. None of their extended family or coworkers are believers either. And the nearest churches (which are an hour away) are not recommended.

Question: What advice would you give to Fielding and his wife?

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I am now the proud owner of a Rosary.

Yes, a Catholic Prayer Rosary.

No, I am not Catholic. I don’t even know how to “use” a Rosary.

But my prayer Rosary is one of my most prized possessions.

Here is how I came to own it:

My wife and I were running errands the other day, and we noticed a hitch hiker. So we picked him up and took him to where he was going. His name was Anthony Rodriguez. We had a great chat about his travels and his family while we drove him to where he was going…. the homeless shelter.

When we got there, he handed us a rosary he had made. He said that he stood on the side of the road for two hours before we picked him up, and his rosary was all he had to give us. We tried to tell him it wasn’t necessary, but he insisted.

His gift was a gesture of kindness and gratitude from someone who had so little to someone who has so much. And for that, I will always cherish my Rosary and remember Anthony Rodriquez every time I see it.