Why do we wait until Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter roll around to reflect on the blessings we've been given? Shouldn't we reflect daily? After all, each morning that we take a breath is a blessing, isn't it? Okay, so some of us have it better than others...
This morning when I stopped at the United States Post Office in Jackson, MS, I met a man named O'Neill. O'Neill is homeless. He wore tennis shoes with no toes in them. He had on an old, faded black leather jacket, short dreadlocks, knit hat, and old, worn-out khakis. O'Neill asked me for some change, to which I replied I didn't have any - and I didn't (not on me anyway).
I got the mail from our box and I walked back out to my car. My thoughts were still with O'Neill. I knew he was going to be asked to leave the post office pretty soon. I also knew that my decision to help O'Neill was going to have to be one of faith; my initial thoughts were that he would use any money I gave him to buy cigarettes or alcohol or drugs. But who am I to judge? For all I know he could've walked to McDonald's and gotten himself a hot meal! My responsibility was to help my brother in need.
I took $3 from my wallet and I walked back inside to where O'Neill was sitting. I asked his name and I handed him the $3. Then I asked him if I could pray for him. He said that was ok. I also asked if I could put my hand on his arm; he said his shoulder was hurting but that it was also okay. So I prayed for O'Neill and left.
I've been thinking about O'Neill since then...can't get him out of my head. I don't know where he'll sleep or what he'll eat. Even if he did get some breakfast this morning, where is he going to eat for lunch and for supper? Will he be warm enough to sleep peacefully? Will he be safe? Keep in mind, O'Neill is not a young person - he's probably in his late 40's or early 50's. But he is a broken man and there was a sense of pride (mixed with shame) when he held his head up as we prayed. I will trust the Lord to keep his hand on O'Neill throughout this day and for the coming days.
In the meantime, we don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to appreciate our very many blessings. We don't have to wait for Christmas. We don't have to wait for anything! Everyday is a blessing and we need to share our "wealth" of time, money, and resources to help those less fortunate than us.
If you find yourself feeling less-than-fulfilled this holiday season - use the resources below to find and help one of the Jackson area shelters in feeding, clothing, and/or caring for the men and women using their facilities. God will receive the glory, our fellow brothers and sisters will be blessed, and you will find a great joy in serving others.
Case Management Housing Support Services (601)355-8634
748 N. President Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Stewpot Community Services (601)353-2759
1100 W. Capitol Street
Jackson, MS 39203
Gateway Rescue Mission (601)353-5864
328 S. Gallatin Street
Jackson, MS 39207
Hinds County Human Resource Agency (601)923-1775
258 Maddox Road
Jackson, MS 39212
God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving season!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Hmmm....
In the last few months, I haven't been attending church. Well, except for a few sporadic Wednesday night meetings/Bible sessions with the youth group. I've allowed myself to use my physical pain and depression as a "reason" (*cough, cough* excuse) for not going, but then the guilt comes. So, to alleviate the guilt, rather than to pray and search God's word for the answer, my first instinct is to run away (or withdraw). I'm really good at that! Stress brings on pain, which brings on headaches, which elevates my depressive mood, and the cycle continues - so I run away. (Hmmm...not the right answer.)
My second instinct is to say, "I don't feel at home there. People judge me because I haven't been in so long. Let's just go to a new church." Jeff and I have talked about visiting other churches - but we always come back to "our church" - we're members of the church God has led us to. Based on our Christian beliefs, that should be the end of these feelings and thoughts, right? (Hmmmm....it's not.)
So basically, when I feel like I've exhausted every option to make myself feel better, it finally hits me - IF GOD ISN'T IN CONTROL, I can't do anything to feel better! DUH!
The Bible tells us that God will provide for all our needs (Genesis 22:14), that God will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5), that God loves us so much that He sent his only son, Jesus, to die a horrible death on the cross for us (John 3:16), and finally, GOD HAS ALREADY WON (Matthew 28)! The only thing we have to do is believe in Him and trust in Him and have faith that He will keep His promises to us. Why is that so hard to do? It sounds simple enough. God will do all these things; He's proved it time and again throughout the Bible times and throughout all of mankind, which is His own creation. Yet we struggle - I struggle.
Unfortunately, Satan is allowed to place the darkest, and often most enticing, temptations in front of us, but ultimately it's our selfish desire that causes us to sin. Figuring that out is very scary! Sin is dark and ugly and evil - everything that God is not. But the joy and the peace and the hope that comes from repentance of our sins WILL bring us back into the Light; full of joy, peace, hope and love that is not comparable to anything found on this earth. Amazingly enough, these wonderful things are available to us at no charge! (Hmmm....That's exciting!)
"It takes ____ weeks/months to relearn a good/healthy habit." (You can insert whatever number in that blank that you'd like - it all means the same.) It only takes ONE time to fall back into an old bad one, though. Missing church the first time made it easier to miss the second time and so on. Doing so has caused more heartache, bad choices, and sin than I care to recount. But, please don't misunderstand - the church isn't my saving grace. Going to church will not get me into heaven. Going to church will not magically transform my life into something greater than non-church-goers have. But going to church will surround me with like-minded believers that are only human, like me; they have the same issues I have and they have the same desire I have to draw nearer to God and remove the stain of sin from our lives.
I apologize to my church family for letting you down and giving into myself...because I was selfish and felt some sense of entitlement - I tried to blame it all on you for the reason things weren't going my way. What I should have been doing all along was talking to God, all day every day, believing that He placed all of you in my life for a reason, lifting you up in encouragement, and finally, most importantly, LISTENING TO WHAT HE WAS - and still is - SAYING!
I have a lot of growing up to do - spiritually speaking. And the first thing I need to work on is my prayer life; it isn't healthy. So, I will begin the day with prayer and Bible study immediately. I will pray hard and often, not just for others, but for myself as well - both are equally important. Next item on the list is to step out of my comfort zone and speak up when the opportunity presents itself - whether at home, on the soccer field, in the workplace, or even in the church (Yes, the church. We are made up of a bunch of humans and sometimes we don't handle things the right way the first time.). Finally, I'm going to work on not using "I" so much. Everything about Jesus was love and service for (and to) others. There's no reason to be focused on ME all the time. The selfish "clothes" are coming off. I want people to remember me for the love of Jesus that was shown to them, rather than for the selfish things I did for myself.
For those of you that don't know Jesus, the time has come for you to stand up and take note. You won't have a second opportunity when you're standing at the Pearly Gates. The Bible says in Revelation 20:12-15, "12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
Hell is a very real place. If you do not understand what the three verses above mean, then I invite you to email me at ghardin72@gmail.com and ask whatever questions you may have. I do NOT have all the answers, but will most certainly get the divinely-inspired answers for you - from the Bible, from my pastor, from those that have studied the Bible longer and more fervently than I have. For those who are sincere in their quest, their hearts, minds, and ears will be opened by the Holy Spirit and they will know the truth as it comes from the one true God.
Finally, I leave you with these thoughts from dcTalk, one of my favorite all-time Christian artists,
"What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak? What will people do when they find out it's true? I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak; there ain't no disguising the truth!" Jesus Freak by dc Talk
My second instinct is to say, "I don't feel at home there. People judge me because I haven't been in so long. Let's just go to a new church." Jeff and I have talked about visiting other churches - but we always come back to "our church" - we're members of the church God has led us to. Based on our Christian beliefs, that should be the end of these feelings and thoughts, right? (Hmmmm....it's not.)
So basically, when I feel like I've exhausted every option to make myself feel better, it finally hits me - IF GOD ISN'T IN CONTROL, I can't do anything to feel better! DUH!
The Bible tells us that God will provide for all our needs (Genesis 22:14), that God will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5), that God loves us so much that He sent his only son, Jesus, to die a horrible death on the cross for us (John 3:16), and finally, GOD HAS ALREADY WON (Matthew 28)! The only thing we have to do is believe in Him and trust in Him and have faith that He will keep His promises to us. Why is that so hard to do? It sounds simple enough. God will do all these things; He's proved it time and again throughout the Bible times and throughout all of mankind, which is His own creation. Yet we struggle - I struggle.
Unfortunately, Satan is allowed to place the darkest, and often most enticing, temptations in front of us, but ultimately it's our selfish desire that causes us to sin. Figuring that out is very scary! Sin is dark and ugly and evil - everything that God is not. But the joy and the peace and the hope that comes from repentance of our sins WILL bring us back into the Light; full of joy, peace, hope and love that is not comparable to anything found on this earth. Amazingly enough, these wonderful things are available to us at no charge! (Hmmm....That's exciting!)
"It takes ____ weeks/months to relearn a good/healthy habit." (You can insert whatever number in that blank that you'd like - it all means the same.) It only takes ONE time to fall back into an old bad one, though. Missing church the first time made it easier to miss the second time and so on. Doing so has caused more heartache, bad choices, and sin than I care to recount. But, please don't misunderstand - the church isn't my saving grace. Going to church will not get me into heaven. Going to church will not magically transform my life into something greater than non-church-goers have. But going to church will surround me with like-minded believers that are only human, like me; they have the same issues I have and they have the same desire I have to draw nearer to God and remove the stain of sin from our lives.
I apologize to my church family for letting you down and giving into myself...because I was selfish and felt some sense of entitlement - I tried to blame it all on you for the reason things weren't going my way. What I should have been doing all along was talking to God, all day every day, believing that He placed all of you in my life for a reason, lifting you up in encouragement, and finally, most importantly, LISTENING TO WHAT HE WAS - and still is - SAYING!
I have a lot of growing up to do - spiritually speaking. And the first thing I need to work on is my prayer life; it isn't healthy. So, I will begin the day with prayer and Bible study immediately. I will pray hard and often, not just for others, but for myself as well - both are equally important. Next item on the list is to step out of my comfort zone and speak up when the opportunity presents itself - whether at home, on the soccer field, in the workplace, or even in the church (Yes, the church. We are made up of a bunch of humans and sometimes we don't handle things the right way the first time.). Finally, I'm going to work on not using "I" so much. Everything about Jesus was love and service for (and to) others. There's no reason to be focused on ME all the time. The selfish "clothes" are coming off. I want people to remember me for the love of Jesus that was shown to them, rather than for the selfish things I did for myself.
For those of you that don't know Jesus, the time has come for you to stand up and take note. You won't have a second opportunity when you're standing at the Pearly Gates. The Bible says in Revelation 20:12-15, "12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
Hell is a very real place. If you do not understand what the three verses above mean, then I invite you to email me at ghardin72@gmail.com and ask whatever questions you may have. I do NOT have all the answers, but will most certainly get the divinely-inspired answers for you - from the Bible, from my pastor, from those that have studied the Bible longer and more fervently than I have. For those who are sincere in their quest, their hearts, minds, and ears will be opened by the Holy Spirit and they will know the truth as it comes from the one true God.
Finally, I leave you with these thoughts from dcTalk, one of my favorite all-time Christian artists,
"What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak? What will people do when they find out it's true? I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak; there ain't no disguising the truth!" Jesus Freak by dc Talk
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