Rosemita's Song 2/12/2014

"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." Galatians 6:10

[Beloved, the following is an article I wrote during my recent mission trip to Haiti.  I pray that it will give you some insight into what still goes on there and that it will move you to pray for those still in harms way as well as those who leave the comforts of home to minister to them.]

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Brought along primarily as a photographer to document the International American Medical Mission’s mission to Haiti, I also happen to be the minister of the O’Fallon church of Christ.  It was this capacity that sparked the most meaningful moment I experienced while in this destitute country.

There was a young lady that grabbed my attention as I made my photographic rounds.  She caught my eye because she couldn’t have been more than a few days old.  As I moved in to capture her receiving care in one of the tents in which patients were being seen, Dr. Charles Woodridge pointedly asked, “Are you going to take a picture of a baby we haven’t even helped yet?”  “Yes,” I replied. “That is what I’m here for.  My job is to capture the process of us providing help.”  With a look of grave concern overtaking his eyes, he said in a quiet but direct manner, “What you need to be doing is praying.”  I put down the camera, gathered everyone who was close and sought the face of God on behalf of the infant whose name turned out to be Rosemita.

It turns out that Rosemita had been born just 20 hours before that moment.  She was born to two parents in their home.  Her mother had received neither pre nor post natal care and Dr. Woodridge was the first physician the newborn had ever seen.  We further learned from interpreters who volunteered to work with the mission that she was born after just 7 months of gestation.  And now Rosemita was in trouble.  She would not take the breast and had therefore not eaten since she was born.  Further, the temperature was somewhere in the mid-90s that day and the baby was showing signs of heat exhaustion.  Other challenges included a heart rate of 200 and a glucose level in the 30s.

In later conversations, I learned that Dr. Woodridge is a very happy go lucky guy who is constantly laughing, joking and trying to bring smiles to the lives of others.  But I also learned that when he is serious about something, he is dead serious and he is serious about children.  In fact, he refuses to see adults on the mission unless it is an emergency.  There were other physicians and caregivers along for that.  A veteran of the U.S. Army, he had seen a lot of death and was not in any way interested in adding to the number he had seen by way of this precious little lady.  He said, “Every time I see one of these little ones die, it takes a chunk out of me and when that chunk is gone, it’s gone.”  So we prayed with everything we had.

After the amen, Dr. Woodridge started directing traffic around the baby even while he held her in his hands (she was not yet big enough to be held in arms).  He called for Leonardo Gilbert, Founding Director of IAMM, to do whatever it took to get an ambulance, a car or even a donkey to get the little one to the hospital because there was a very real possibility that she could die.  Bro. Gilbert, also minister of the Sheldon Heights Church of Christ in Chicago, IL, immediately moved into action, pulling together local administrators and interpreters to make things happen.

Meanwhile, the doctor called for a glucose drip, formula or anything that could be safely given to the baby to feed her.  Of course no such luxuries are available in Source-Metalas, Haiti.  It is an area so poor that it is not a matter of not having hot and cold running water, but that the water has to be retrieved by the bucket from a questionable source half a mile away over rocky and desert like terrain.  Two young ladies could be seen making this journey over and over again throughout the day to fill tanks inside the orphanage that hosted us.  It is estimated that a full bucket, which they balanced perfectly on their heads, weighed 35-40 lbs.

Very quickly, members of the pharmacy team provided a syringe and some clean water in which sugar had been dissolved.  Within 5 minutes of our fervent prayer, Rosemita received her first meal of about 10 CCs of sugar water at the hand of Dr. Woodridge.  The baby’s suckle reflex  kicked in and she was finally eating. 

The parents cried tears of joy and word of the good news spread throughout the IAMM Care Camp prompting other eyes to dampen and more than a few sighs of relief.  After about 15 minutes, her glucose levels were again tested and found to be at 99.  The news kept getting better but she was not out of the woods yet.  In order to have the best chance at life, she needed more care than we could give her out of tents using the limited supplies we had available.  She needed a hospital.

This is just one of the many stories that happened on day one of the five day mission.  IAMM has been coming to Haiti every year since the earthquake, some six years now.  The mission provides similar services in Jamaica.  Each time, we work in concert with local churches of Christ and base ourselves in orphanages where the need is often most acute.  From this base, local communities are served, often reaching into the hundreds per day.   A team of volunteer doctors, nurses, ministers, pharmacists, administrators and coordinators leave the comforts of home at their own expense to “go unto all nations” and do the work of the Lord.

We do not know the end of the story for Rosemita.  Our best hope and prayers are that she will grow into a wonderfully healthy young lady who lives a long and prosperous life.  However, in a country as challenged as Haiti is, one never knows.  The truth is, we rarely know how things turn out with the people that are served.  But we do know that we have done what God has called, equipped and gifted us to do and that is to serve.  And at the moment of service, the people’s gratitude, that of our brothers and sisters in Christ, is overflowing.  They wear their Sunday best to see the doctors and offer the best they have: their thanks.

By the end of the day as we began to lose light and therefore shut down operations, an ambulance finally arrived.  It was through a phalanx of handclaps and cheers that the parents of Rosemita climbed into the ambulance, a family who left with more hope than that with which they arrived.  Bro. Gilbert, as he always does, came through once again, making sure that the process works, that the resources are utilized to their fullest extent and that everyone is placed where they can do the most good.

As for Dr. Woodridge, he was not at the ambulance with everyone else.  He was still in his tent taking care of one last little one as the light dipped below the mountains to the west.

More information can be found about IAMM at www.iammonline.net.  To support IAMM, contact Ardana McFerren at 773.609.IAMM or by email at iammonline@gmail.com.

One,

Lee

Three Pointing Back at Me 10/23/2013

"Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 'Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.' And He answered and said to them, 'Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?'" Matthew 15:1-3

As a young man, I once heard a person say, "I want to be careful about pointing fingers because every time I do it, I find three pointing back at me." Initially, I thought the idea of people standing around pointing at one another was a useless exercise in rudeness. It was not until much later that I was shown the architecture of the hand while pointing the index finger. Indeed, the other three fingers were pointed in the opposite direction.

Jesus' adversaries were always looking for a way to entrap and discredit him. They used every means possible to accomplish their goal. When they could not get at him personally (and make no mistake, it was always about him personally) they would use someone like the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:1-12) or even his apostles. In this case, they accused the apostles of violating their traditions. By extension, they claimed the guilt of Jesus because he was their teacher.

It must be noted that these traditions were not spiritually binding but had become religiously and socially binding because of the adversaries themselves. They were the people in charge of a religion that ruled local society. Yet Jesus was able to counter by pointing out their failure at upholding what should have been their priority (obedience to the word of God) in favor of their traditions. Specifically, he pointed out their violation of God's commandment to honor father and mother by withholding support of their parents with the excuse of saying their resources were dedicated to God.

Beloved, when we point an accusing finger, there are two things we must consider. First, what is the spirit that motivates us to do it? Are we approaching a person who has violated God's command in privacy and in love that they might recognize, repent and renew or are we simply scandal mongering out of our own spiritual immaturity and failure to love? Second, have we given thought to our own shortcomings? In the previously mentioned incident involving the woman caught in the act of adultery, the accusers wanted to stone her. Jesus famously invited everyone who had no sin to go right ahead. Note that he did not stipulate adultery as the sin, but sin of any type.

Does this mean that because we are all guilty we should never say anything to anyone to help them when they have stumbled? Absolutely not. The Bible says in Galatians 6:1 (NIV), "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted" (emphasis mine). When we point with one finger, let us all be mindful of "the three pointing back at me."

Committed,

Lee

Compassionate Word Choices 9/19/2013

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29

There are times in all of our lives that we need someone with whom to talk. Whether we are in the depth of sorrows or the height of celebration, we have a basic human need to interact with others. The question we must ask ourselves concerns whether we do the right thing when we receive the call.

The book of Job, among other things, is a great study about dos and don'ts when coming to the aid of another. Upon hearing of his great tragedies, Job's three friends came to his side. It is recorded that, "Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great" Job 2:13. This was a very large "do" at the time. It was exactly what Job needed. Many times people who are suffering just need to know that someone cares, but they also need time to mentally and emotionally process the things that are happening to them. A lot of talk can be distracting and do more harm than good.

Of course the other side of the story (and an Olympic level "don't" in Job's situation) is that when his friends did begin to speak, they said the wrong thing. In fact, they actually got in trouble with God: "It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has,'" Job 42:7.

Beloved, caring for one another in a time of need can be a delicate and challenging thing. We do not always know what to do or what to say. It would be easy to proceed as we think we might like for someone to do if we were in that situation, but one never knows what is needed until those conditions actually arise. Even then, everyone is different. The bottom line is that we must use care with the things we say. If someone finds themselves in trouble, the last thing they need is an indictment. There will be a time for loving and gentle admonishment, but in an acute situation, love, comfort, companionship, reassurance and tender words are needed. Better said, "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person," Colossians 4:6.

Committed,

Lee

Extending the Invitation 5/31/2013

"When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?'  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)"  Jn 4:7-9 (NIV)

Beloved, the gospel is not a secret and Christianity is not some sort of exclusive club (insofar as that everyone is welcome).  In fact, it could be compared to the Ark on which Noah vigorously invited everyone to join him and his family due to the impending deluge.  Noah cared for his fellow man.  It could just as easily be compared to a hospital where the sick are invited to come for healing (which everyone could use in some form).  Doctors, nurses and hospital staff are dedicated to this pursuit.  The key to both of these analogies is the invitation.  The key to the invitation, with the understanding that love and compassion drives it, is how it is made.

Jesus, our great example and inspiration did three great things to extend the ultimate invitation.  First, he went where he would not normally go.  There was a hundreds of years old schism between Jews and their compromised relatives, the Samaritans.  Samaria was avoided by Jews and the name was often used as an insult.  Samaritans in turn felt the same way about the Jews.  So it was completely out of what would be expected for someone of Jesus' knowledge and de facto authority to even be in Samaria.

Second, Jesus did what he might not normally have done.  It was highly unusual for someone who was considered a rabbi to be in a private conversation with a woman, particularly one who was "involved."  Speaking of involved, Jesus later demonstrates knowledge that she is co-habitating with a man that is not one of the 5 husbands she has had.  Some even accuse her of harlotry.  Added to this, he asked her for a drink.  Because the passage later reveals that he had nothing with which to draw water, he could only have drunk after her or use her vessel.  There are all kinds of ceremonial purity issues here, nevertheless, Jesus, because of his great love, was some place he should not have been, doing something he should not have done.  This is said from the standpoint that once his apostles returned and came upon this scene, they had some serious unarticulated questions, but would not even acknowledge the presence of the woman.

Finally, Jesus met her in the location and the condition that she was.  It was entirely unlikely that she would ever leave her confines to seek Jesus for the truth.  She did not even know who he was and she had her own understanding of truth (vs. 20).  It was therefore necessary that if she was to ever experience the safety of the Ark or the cures associated with the hospital someone had to make the information known.  Someone had to go to where she was and minister to her even in her sinful condition in a loving way.  Jesus has done the same thing for you.  Will you do likewise for someone else?  Will you extend yourself to extend the invitation?

Committed,

Lee

The Unglamorous Work of God 5/30/2013

"Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, 'My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?'  So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean."  2 Kings 5:13-14

There was once a man named Naaman who was a great soldier that had distinguished himself in battle.  Unfortunately, he had leprosy.  Through the course of time and events he found himself being instructed by the prophet Elisha through a messenger to wash in the Jordan river 7 times in order that he might be cured of his condition.  Naaman was initially very angry.  He expected that Elisha would come out to him and do something miraculous.  Further, he thought there were much better and cleaner rivers than the Jordan in which to be cleansed.  The bible tells us he left Elisha's door in a rage.

This passage came to mind at last evening's bible study while talking to one of our faithful and hard working members.  He and his wife had just returned from leading a small group to tornado ravaged Oklahoma in order to lend a helping hand to those in need.  He related that a lot of the work they did involved clearing brush, picking up trash, dismantling and stacking wood from blown down fences and various other "unglamorous" (my word, not his) activities.  This brother has many talents and thought he might be doing more things like fixing roofs, installing windows or perhaps even doing some electrical work.

Through the course of our conversation, he came to realize that his and the other's willingness to pack up, drive hundreds of miles without so much as a plan for a place to lay their heads just to help perfect strangers in a time of need was the very definition of loving God with our whole selves and loving others as we love ourselves (Matt 22:37-39).  Further, the help that was rendered was critically needed by those who received it.  They helped older people who could not have done what they did by themselves.  They even did work on a home for a person who was not there.  He was not there because he was in another state receiving a bone marrow transplant due to his cancerous condition.  Their time, effort, energy and sacrifice was appreciated by all they assisted and, I believe, God is pleased.

Beloved, let us not diminish in our own minds the value of service and obedience to God.  Not everyone is going to be in a position to pull someone out of a burning building, lift a heavy object from off of a trapped individual, administer CPR to someone whose life is endangered or come to the aid of a car accident victim.  Doing good is not about the "wow factor."  It is about love and the vast majority of good done for others is quiet, small and ordinary.  God works this way so much in our lives, we not only take it for granted but we fail to see His actions for the everyday miracles they are.  Ask a severe asthmatic about the value of simply being able to breathe.

Naaman expected something big and flashy from God, but He delivered in the smallest, most quiet way.  Having him wash in the dirty Jordan, rather than the famous clear, cold and pure rivers of Damascus, Naaman was made whole, just as the people of Oklahoma will be, one small act of love and kindness at a time.

Blessings to all who do the work of God.

Committed,

Lee

We Need Each Other 5/14/2013

"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.  For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.  Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?  And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." Eccl 4:9-12

Today it seems that all of life is about the individual.  It is all about what "I" think and how "I" express myself.  People are going to greater and greater lengths to distinguish themselves from others.  This neo-individualism manifests itself most tragically as selfishness.  We can become so consumed with satisfying ourselves that we begin to do so at the expense of others.  Adultery is an act of selfishness.  Murder is an act of selfishness.  Theft is an act of selfishness.  And getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is an act of selfishness.  The opposite of love is not hate, but selfishness.

Beloved, God's design for humanity is togetherness and selflessness.  It was God who looked down on Adam and decided that he should not be alone.  It was God who told Adam and Eve to populate the earth.  It was God who gathered to himself a people who would carry forth his message of reconciliation to himself and to one another to all peoples.  It was the Lord who said that we should love God with all of ourselves and similarly, love others as we love ourselves.  We have been taught that it is better to give to others than to receive from others and to prefer others over ourselves.

The fact is we need each other.  None of us were designed or destined to be alone.  We heard the good news of the Lord's love from someone who cared and as a result are called to share that same good news with someone else.  The benefit is that we all benefit.  If we would all strive to take care of others, we ourselves would be taken care of by others and we would cease to know need.  More so than ever we must bind ourselves together in the love of the Lord that we might live out his will for our lives and accomplish his good.

Committed,

Lee

No Christian Left Behind 3/12/13

"Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.  Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.  For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.'"  Rom 15:1-3

One of the things for which the Bush Administration was famous was the concept of "No Child Left Behind."  Though the execution and results were questionable, the doctrine was sound.  The idea is not unlike the teaching of Paul from which it must have been inspired.  We have been taught that no Christian is to be left behind.

Paul was addressing a church that consisted of both Jews and Gentiles who were trying to come together.  His admonition to all was that we are brothers and sisters with a common Father and that we are to take care of one another.  Though there are differences between us in heritage and habit (evidently considered weakness by some), it is critical that we band together to build one another up so that no one is left behind.

Beloved, the need for this teaching and its associated action is more relevant today than ever.  There are so many that are falling away from the Lord.  Distractions and deviations seem to multiply daily and once faithful believers are being recaptured by the enemy.  This ought not be so.  As any of us would protect and nurture the young ones in our blood families, we should all the more hold on tightly to those who are weaker in the faith.  Imagine what it would be like to be at the judgment as depicted in Matthew 25 and look over and see someone who used to sit next to you in worship in line with those who did not visit, feed, clothe, etc. and are headed for everlasting destruction.  We have a responsibility to one another.  This is modeled by Christ who stands between us and Satan's accusations.

Let us do all we can to ensure that not only no Christian, but no individual is left behind.

Committed,

Lee

Faithful Help 12/3/2012

"Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.  But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Heb 3:12-13

We all know people who at one time seemed to be devout Christians full of the love of God who then began to drift and ultimately fall away all together.  This is a bigger tragedy than if they had never met the Lord in the first place.

There are many things that could account for such a tragedy.  Some have bad experiences in their church, experienced soured relationships or the loss or departure of a loved one or distraction by the world.  These and other events and circumstances are not uncommon occurrences and when we see them happening to our brothers and sisters, it is incumbent upon us to be hyper vigilant to encourage, refresh and relieve.

Departing from God is called apostasy.  It is in effect, turning one's back on Him and no longer acknowledging him as Father and Creator.  It is a complete rejection of the Divine.  The consequences for such a decision are unimaginable and should be avoided at all costs.

Beloved it is true that sometimes the going gets tough.  Christ himself warned of this truth.  But our relationship with God is made for such times.  It is He who provides comfort, reassurance and peace (if we will allow it).  It is He that holds us up when we are unable to stand on our own.  It is He who is the compassionate one.  Part of his provision are those who are strong in the faith.  He has commissioned us to be His presence in a time of need.

Let us pursue with all vigor the dual responsibilities of remaining faithful and doing all we can to help others do likewise.

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

What About Me?-1/13/2012

"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matt 7:12

When most people think about the "Golden Rule," they think more about how they want to be treated than how they treat others. In fact, treating others well can be a means to an end rather than a pursuit of virtue. The reason for pursuing this thought is that there are those who become disenfranchised with their local congregations, particularly around the time that they stop attending for one reason or the other. Members get upset if no one comes to check on them and see how they are doing.

Let it first be said that they have a point. Who among us does not want to feel cared for by our brothers and sisters in Christ? It is a fact that the congregation has a responsibility to its members. If we do not care for one another who will? We must love others as we love ourselves and as Christ loves us.

That said, it must also be considered why members forsake the fellowship. To be sure there are a variety of reasons and it exceeds the purpose of this writing to consider them per se. Instead, the question must be asked to some of those who feel wronged, "Do you visit the absent?"

Beloved it is easy to ask oneself, "What about me?" but not as easy to make the sacrifice and show the love for others by visiting them in their need, particularly when they may have, for one reason or the other, lost their way. Much is said about cliques in the church and how only certain people get the attention of the masses. While this can be seen in any organization (let us not forget that we are still humans and still short of perfection despite our calling) this can be defeated by being the friend we wish to have. If everyone focused on building relationships and reaching out to the person normally on the nearby pew that you have not seen in a while, the problem could be virtually eliminated. In so doing, we will likely find ourselves being treated the way we have treated others. Let us think on these things.

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Lee

Taking Care of Our Own 12/2/2011

He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH';
but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),' you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." Mark 7:9-13

In this passage, Jesus is rebuking the so called spiritual leaders of the time. At some point, they lost sight of the spirit of the law and became outrageously consumed with the letter of the law. Their traditions became more important than the work of God. Offered as an example was the way they treated their parents and by extension the elderly of what we would today call the church. What they should have known from the commandments they so revered is that to honor mother and father was 1) the fifth commandment, 2) the first of those directed toward our treatment and love for others and 3) the first with a promise attached to it ("that your days may be prolonged in the land)." The Pharisees were teaching that people should take that which they would ordinarily support or assist their parents and give it to the Lord. This goes against everything that the God intended and commanded.

Beloved, there was a time that the care of our parents and the elderly of the church was a no-brainer. It was just done. However in these days of "me first" those who raised and taught us are cast to the side and left to their own devices. Not so rarely, the family waits at a distance, consumed by their own lives, and waits for death to come that the spoils might be divided. This makes it that much more important that the church be there to step in. We must be involved in counseling the families to do what is right as well as being there ourselves. James said that "True religion is this: visiting the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and keeping oneself spotless from the world."

We have a moral obligation to care for those who once cared for us. Let us never use the fact that we must give to God or go to this or that church function as an excuse to care not for our blood or spiritual family. Serving God's children is giving to God. One day, through the grace of God, our days may be long on this earth and we may know what it means to have need while others make excuses.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

A Little Help From Our Friends-9/16/2011

"My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." James 5:19-20

The Beatles are famous for penning a lyric that states, "I get by with a little help from my friends." This points to the fact that none of us exists on an island or in a bubble. By necessity, we interact with and depend on one another. This is true of people that we know as well as those with whom we may not be acquainted. In Christian relationships, the importance of this increases exponentially. Why? Because we are talking about nothing less than our relationship with God and our eternal souls.

Beloved, God placed us in each other's lives for a reason. As siblings, we are to be a family. As His family, we are to care for one another in as near an approximation as we can to how He cares for us. We need to both celebrate and sorrow with one another. We need to fellowship in the glow of having Jesus in common. We need encourage one another. And sometimes we need to save each other.

Like the lost sheep that has wondered away from the flock, Christian family members sometimes go astray. It is at times like these when a little help is needed. Gal 6:1 famously says that "If a man be overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness." In so doing, we prevent one who has been won from being lost again. Not only is it important that we provide this loving and compassionate service to our brothers and sisters but we truly need to count on the same from them if and when we find ourselves going a bit astray.

When we realize that any of us at any time is subject to losing our grip on constantly living a godly life, a little help from our friends is more valuable than gold and is as critical as breathing. Once restored to the fold, we can pick up the Beatles' next bit of wisdom, "I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends."

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee

Being There-DD 3/28/2011

"Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." Gal 6:2 Beloved, none of us are Christians in isolation. When we obeyed the gospel, we became members of a family; the family of God. More importantly, we became members of the body of Christ. In every body, each member has its place and its function. Each one depends on others to provide functions it cannot provide itself. Each member also finds its purpose in being able to provide the functions it is uniquely qualified to provide. The fact is, we need each other. Each of us knows what it is like to hurt and to be alone. Each of us knows what it is like to have need. As Christians, united by a common faith and a common Father, we are siblings in the best sense of the word. Who better to be there in a time of need? When things get a bit heavy, it is our Christian brothers and sisters to whom we should be able to turn. Let us remember that a big part of our Christianity is other Christians. As God is, we must also be a present help in a time of need. Loving Like Jesus, Lee

Providing Help by Needing Help-DD 1/25/2011

"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Heb 3:13

This Christian journey is not one that was meant to be walked alone. In fact, we need each other. None of us can expect to make it through without the help of another. Our first thoughts about help most often include gaining assistance from someone in a time of need. Would it surprise you to know that you can be helped by someone elses need?

Beloved, we must learn to give, learn to listen and learn to be there for others. In so doing, we exemplify Christ. If we lead lives of solitude and self sufficiency we would never be able to do the things that we are called to do by our Savior. Likewise, we must give others the chance to serve through our need.

As long as we are actively engaged in providing opportunities to be Christ like to others, we facilitate souls being saved from destruction. Let us always remember to help others as we have the opportunity and provide others with the opportunity to do the same.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee