You never know when the Lord is going to call on you to be there for someone. It could be anytime, anytime place - even in the middle of a family get-together.
We were playing cards (that's what our family does) when the phone rang. I heard mom say, "You want to come over here because you have nowhere to go?" She looked around as she said it, silently seeking her family's "ok". Of course it's ok. That's what mom does. I remember Thanksgivings when I was quite young that mom invited anyone who didn't have family, and on one occasion a homeless man, to dinner.
The woman, who had just been beaten by her boyfriend, sat on mom's back porch, avoiding people and not wanting to intrude on our family time. I knew her. She had just recently started attending mom's church, had accepted Christ as her Savior and was already becoming transformed into a new person. I went out to hug her. She apologized for barging in, "But", she said, "I had nowhere to turn". "You most certainly did have somewhere to turn", I answered. "You have the body of Christ. That's what we are here for." She nodded and praised God and said, "I knew I could call Joy."
She's the second person this holiday that I came in contact with that probably feels she has nowhere to turn. The other is my 21 year old niece. I was shocked to see that she probably weighs under 100 pounds. She's been on depression medicine since she was 16. I got the opportunity to have a serious talk with her, and I believe she feels un-noticed, unimportant, and not good enough. I tried to tell her that she is loved and needed. I want her to know that she, too, has somewhere to turn.
Proverbs 18:10 says "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved." Those of us who call themselves by His name, need to be that strong tower for others to run to. That's what this experiment is all about: shedding the excess so I am freed up to be and do what God needs me to be and do - anywhere, anytime, even in the middle of a card game like mom did. I want people to be able to say, "I knew I could call Rae." I want to be somewhere to turn.
We were playing cards (that's what our family does) when the phone rang. I heard mom say, "You want to come over here because you have nowhere to go?" She looked around as she said it, silently seeking her family's "ok". Of course it's ok. That's what mom does. I remember Thanksgivings when I was quite young that mom invited anyone who didn't have family, and on one occasion a homeless man, to dinner.
The woman, who had just been beaten by her boyfriend, sat on mom's back porch, avoiding people and not wanting to intrude on our family time. I knew her. She had just recently started attending mom's church, had accepted Christ as her Savior and was already becoming transformed into a new person. I went out to hug her. She apologized for barging in, "But", she said, "I had nowhere to turn". "You most certainly did have somewhere to turn", I answered. "You have the body of Christ. That's what we are here for." She nodded and praised God and said, "I knew I could call Joy."
She's the second person this holiday that I came in contact with that probably feels she has nowhere to turn. The other is my 21 year old niece. I was shocked to see that she probably weighs under 100 pounds. She's been on depression medicine since she was 16. I got the opportunity to have a serious talk with her, and I believe she feels un-noticed, unimportant, and not good enough. I tried to tell her that she is loved and needed. I want her to know that she, too, has somewhere to turn.
Proverbs 18:10 says "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved." Those of us who call themselves by His name, need to be that strong tower for others to run to. That's what this experiment is all about: shedding the excess so I am freed up to be and do what God needs me to be and do - anywhere, anytime, even in the middle of a card game like mom did. I want people to be able to say, "I knew I could call Rae." I want to be somewhere to turn.
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