I was getting ready for church a minute ago when a pain event entered my thoughts. Last week I greeted for the first time at the church I had recently started attending. Wendy, the woman and I who were at the same door, chatted and laughed and she invited me to join the small community she gathers with, on Friday evening. I was thrilled; they were having a Mexican theme evening. I love themes, people and fun. Before the service started others came to introduce themselves to me, hearing that I would be joining them and welcoming me. Who wouldnt love that feeling of belonging? After church we found each other and I gave her my business card with contact information on it. I have a feeling you know where this is leading. I never heard from Wendy this week about the gathering. I didnt know her last name or have her information to phone her. This morning as I was getting ready to go to church where I will see Wendy and the others who so graciously invited me to be part of their group, I recalled a homeless man, Michael, who was sent to me, first time at the shelter where I was one evening, because he had NO clean change of clothes. I took down his sizes and told him I would do all that I could to fill his needs. He met me three days later at the shelter and I walked toward him with two bags. He was sitting his over-sized self on the hearth of a fireplace in the pavilion. I handed him the bag with 3 size 5X shirts in them - beautiful polo pullovers, all with grays and blacks in them. He smiled big, but when I gave him the sack with coordinating black pants- size 68 - he openly cried, then dropped his head on his massive chest. I leaned down and hugged him and he spoke so softly, All of my life people said they were going to help my mom - she was a single mom - and me. They were Christians, people from the church, people who acted good. They never did. I never believe when people say they are going to help me...but when I met you , I believed that you were going to do everything you could to help. Now I can go into Respite Care for help. I have been signed up so many times but couldnt tell anyone that I didnt show up because I had no clean clothes. He sniffled and looked me int he eyes. I somehow knew you were doing Jesus work and were REALLY going to do what you said. (This was on a Saturday evening). I go into Respite on Monday. Then I cried. How many people/Christians/others are telling people they are going to do something, make them feel that the belong, that someone cares? Meaning it when they say it, then forgetting the follow-through? They person on the receiving end is not forgetting; possibly taking it personally and adding it to their list of abandonment, shame, unworthiness. Are YOU making promises to make yourself look good, and then neglecting your duty? My Children, do you realize that others get to know My Son through you? If you do not keep your word, what must other non-believers think of Jesus? So let your YES be YES, and your No, No. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. When I walk into church this morning and listen as Wendy approaches me...I lost your card, I forgot, fill in excuses here..., I am not going to say Thats okay, because it is NOT okay to promise and not deliver. What do we all do that puts a bad label on Jesus if we are, indeed, his messengers? LORD, that I live out my words, because without being my word, I am nothing. Amen.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 12:55:28 +0000
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