Isn't it wonderful how different we all are? In my opinion, it could only be by a grand design that such a diverse group of people has been brought together in any one community. Not everyone can do everything but you know someone that can do anything.
It could also be said that we all have our own little toolboxes with the tools that we use in everyday life. It makes the tiny piece of the world around us function for our benefit. Some people are speakers, some are handy around their house, some have a knack for chores inside the home (cooking, cleaning, etc.). It is the sprinkling of those skills among us that work together, and compliment each other, that make our world work.
With all of that being said, why in all of Creation do we have people struggling to get basic things done week in and week out with no break? I am not trying to beat anyone over the head, I am simply telling my story. At the end of the day, I know that there are many similar stories to mine as it pertains to one fact or another. I do not aim to boast about myself either. I prefer to boast about myself in my actions more than my words. If I come off as arrogant or trying to puff myself up, I apologize. It is NOT my intention to do so.
I do not think that what I have to say needs much scripture reference to back it up, therefore it will be inserted when necessary. Do not expect very much of it though. With all of that being said, Let's Begin!
From 2011 to 2015, my wife and I made quite a concerted effort to serve our church body. We came early to events to assist. We served in the youth ministry. We even gave up our weekends on occasion for the good of a particular event that took place once a year. We didn't do it because it was always fun or what we wanted to do. We did it because it was serving the Lord and a mission much bigger than ourselves. We saw people become transformed by the power of God before our very eyes. We got to witness teenagers headed down the wrong path do a 180 and go on to be successful.
As many of you know from my previous blog entries (or from knowing me personally), in 2014 my wife got pregnant and in 2015 my daughter was born. Through a series of unfortunate events, her health was in serious jeopardy. We had no clue what we were doing. We spent countless nights awake trying to figure out the puzzle that was this little fragile girl. I worked and my wife stayed home. Before she was born, everybody told us how they were going to baby sit and make sure that we had a date night once in a while. After my daughter's birth, of those people that said that they were going to be there, 3 of them showed up. Two of them were my wife's parents. There was one time, after receiving some devastating news, two others drove the 400 miles to the hospital to offer their condolences. Occasionally, while we were basically living out of a hospital during the multiple admissions, someone would buy us some food to eat so that we did not have to purchase the very expensive (and not very nutritious) hospital food. I also was missing an exorbitant amount of work due to my daughter's condition.
Aside from those previously mentioned, everyone that swore that they would be there were not. We got no help baby sitting. No one came to even attempt to learn about our daughter's care and how they could help give us some sort of a respite so we could sleep more than 2 hours a piece on a weekend.
I tell you that story to set up the crux point of this thing. Yes, we were financially lacking. It wasn't about money. Many people do not have expendable income. It is a fact of life in our modern world. It was about anytime that my daughter was asleep, we slept. Anytime that she was awake, we were watching her like a hawk to make sure that she didn't have a seizure that could mean her untimely death. We very rarely had clean laundry, except for my daughter's. Our dishes were rarely cleaned and put away. Cooking dinner was very seldom accomplished due to the fact that she required so much care and when we weren't trying to get medicine ready, give her a bath, get milk pumped so that we could mix up her several medications in it to give it to her, all we wanted to do was sit down and take a breather. We did not have enough hours in the day to do everything on a normal scale. Where was our community? Where were the people that we had served with for years?
For the single mom working a job at night and raising her kids during the day, tries her best to get them to church on Sunday and never sleeping. Where is the church for her? Please understand that I am getting away from my own story because I am not the only person that needs some help from time to time. The question will come up, "why doesn't she ask for help?" or "Why didn't you guys ask for help?". I don't know anybody else's reason. My wife's reason was that she hadn't slept in 4 days and the only person that she had a chance to talk to, besides the army of doctors and nurses that she had to deal with, was an infant that was half blind, couldn't talk and was having a seizure over 350 times a day.
My point in all this is that, again, this has nothing to do with money and more about what skills do you have that could be of benefit to someone in a situation like our's or the single mom's. Can you do laundry? Can you operate a lawn mower? Can you make or go pick up a meal so they can eat something besides fast food at least once a week? We all have skills that we can use to the betterment of those in need. If you cannot do any of the other's that I mentioned, do your ears work? Many times all we wanted was someone to talk to that didn't have M.D. after their name. Someone to catch up and see how they are doing and genuinely know that they care.
The things that people in rough patches need a lot of times is just a friendly face that is there because they want to show that they genuinely care. Unless you have been there, you have no idea how lonely that is. Day in and day out, the same monotonous hectic routine can make you lose hope. Mental sicknesses can often times manifest physically because your body is so tired of fighting the sickness in your mind that it cannot fight off what is going on in your physical body.
There are volumes that I could write about this. At the end of the day, as the Church of Jesus Christ we lose our credibility by allowing our brothers and sisters to live in hell when it is our job to be bringers of Heaven to earth. In my opinion, that was the main point of Jesus' entire ministry. Remember? "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand". His first sermon included the Beatitudes which was Jesus' dissertation on how to be happy. If we, knowingly, ignore the fact that there are people in our communities that are suffering, and all was have to do is a few loads of laundry for them to give them some of their dignity back, and we do not do it, We are liars and idolaters and have no right to have taken the Name of God on us to be His representation to the world.
For the record, one of the people that regularly came by to visit, either at home or at the hospital, was a teenager that was in college full time and worked a full time job. If you don't have time, make time.
Open your toolbox, restore some dignity and bring Heaven to earth and help people living in hell experience it. You are here to show the world what God looks like if He were walking amongst us once again.
Grace and Peace!
-B
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