Today’s Reading: Acts
45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Good morning!
My cousin David reminds me of my dad. They shared many of the same physical attributes. He was my uncle’s oldest son and the spitting image of my father. It was as if God had taken a mold and fashioned a mini-me from the clay dirt. Every summer, David would come to visit my parents in the city. He loved to fish and hunt almost as much as my father did, so he couldn’t wait for the weekends. David knew the fishing pond where Uncle Ben planned to take him outside to play. He watched the master craftsman intently, and learned how to use his own prized pocket knife to create beautiful works of art. My father had a thing about never throwing anything away. No matter what it was, everything has some significant worth and could be used to help someone else. David picked up that holy torch, and, to this day, never ever throws anything away that might be reused by another. While some may view this behavior as somewhat strange, I believe recycling is a holy and high calling.
David can’t stand to see good wood go to waste. At the lumber yard in town, he pulls his pickup truck around back where the defective pieces of wood are stacked for dumping. With the owner’s permission, he takes the defective wood slats back home, where he fashions handmade bird houses and gives them away to neighbors and friends. Because of David’s caring heart, the birds find a place of refuge from the heat of the day.
Sharing our resources should be simple; yet, we take so very much for granted. What things do you have in your home stashed in boxes in the basement that someone else could use? An extra pair of shoes, a suit that no longer fits, or an unused set of bed sheets sitting on the linen shelf could be just the thing your neighbor needs. Has God given you a special gift? Can you cook, sew, or make things with your hands? Do you have my cousin’s uncanny ability to make something out of absolutely nothing and give it away, even for a tiny feathered friend?
David never hesitates to offer Christ while lending a helping hand. He shares his faith in the simple things he says and does. It really doesn’t matter whether he knows the family or not. My cousin finds a way to share whatever he has with others. You can see his caring heart etched in the rejected, defective pieces of wood.
The new body of believers found great joy in sharing everything they had with each other. They found that together, they had the provisions and abilities to reach out and meet the needs of the people in their community. Today, we have the ability to do the exact same thing, and God calls us to engage in a helping ministries for the poor and suffering. It is a high privilege to offer Christ as we reach out in love to our neighbors. This is a simple matter of offering our prayers, presence gifts, service and living witness with each other.
This morning, my cousin David is critically ill and in the hospital, suffering from a mystery illness that is sucking the life right out of him. Won’t you take a moment and offer up a prayer of healing for David? Christ’s gift of intercessory prayer is something all of us can share with each other, every day. It is the one gift we can give that makes an eternal impact in the lives of those around us. A simple prayer prayed in faith through Christ, can move life’s biggest mountains aside. I’ve seen it happen time and again. And my David desperately needs to have this mountain moved.
We are better together in Christ Jesus, our Lord. May we willingly open our hearts and hands as we meet each other’s needs, sharing our possessions and goods with the people God calls us daily to serve.
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Faith UMC -
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