who has received your love today?

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” - Matthew 28:18-20


 I love children! They are so bold and will say whatever just pops into their heads. Last week, I overheard two third grade boys talking as they were finishing up their lunch. One said to the other, "you have to come to my church on Wednesday night!" The other boy asked, "why?" First boy: "because I said so!" He was rather insistent as he said this. I smiled and aske dhim, "would Jesus approve if He heard you talk like that if He were here?" The boy's answer?
"Yup!"
Oh the joy of children!

And this is why He instructed His disciples: " Let the little children come to Me...and do not try to stop them, for the Kingdom of Heaven is for such as these!" Matthew 19:14

Let's take a moment here....please think about how you approach the subject of your faith. Do you live it? Do you speak it? Most important, do you offer yourself in service because you were moved by the Holy Spirit to do so? 

Kim Davis was in the news a few weeks back, denying a couple a marriage license because of their sexual orientation. She was a county clerk, which means that she worked "for the government." She had been elected by the people. There are those who will say she was right...as she was held in contempt of not doing her job and thus, jailed. There are those who will say she was wrong, as she had known of the Supreme Court's ruling about this on June 26th and kept at her job. Had this bothered her conscience enough, perhaps she should have stepped down.

In our lives, we are met with many challenges. Right or wrong, our actions show who we are. As the Apostle Paul knew, fighting the good fight means that it can be dirty. Mother Teresa knew that you get down in the trenches and clean up after the poor, the sick, the lame and the hungry. The saints of the past know that faith is not some Academy Award, you don't hold it high dressed in a tux and tails or an evening gown designed by Vera Wang. You simply roll up your sleeves and do it because it just happens to be what Jesus would have done.

He walked among the poor, the downtrodden. He was asked the tough questions. He didn't mince words, but He was careful enough to know when the Pharisees were setting a trap for Him. You see, He had a ministry to conduct. He needed to be among the people- rather than jailed, as Paul was during his own ministry. He knew all about the Romans of the day--who were ready to convict any and all of breaking their rules and crucifixion was a common practice among them to eradicate any rocking of their boat. This was why Jesus was careful to do His work and then- move on. He would go to the mountains to pray, to reflect and always came back to finish what was begun. He also knew when it was time to leave- thus His admonishment to Judas to "be quick about what you are about to do."

It isn't enough, friends, to "go to church." Anyone can walk into a building, sit in a pew and look pretty on Sunday--again wearing your fancy suits and dresses. It isn't enough to say, "I'm Catholic, or Lutheran...or Baptist..." That alone just describes how you practice your beliefs. What IS important is doing what that third grade boy told his friend, "you must--because I said so!" He is living out his faith by being a fisherman of souls...in his own way. He sent out the invite, he expected it to be answered. His boldness spoke volumes of what he knows is true...it was an action on his part.

But for us as adults, we must do more than just "speak it." Do you also "walk the walk?" Do you also get in the deep, dark trenches and fight that battle daily? If you say you do, at the end of the day, can you look back and see how you have made a difference for another person? Did you need to roll up your sleeves and help out when and where you could have--or did you roll your eyes and walk away? As the disciples asked Jesus, "when did I see You hungry--naked--imprisoned?"

I'll give you a hint: the answer is: "when it you did it for another, you also did it for Me." Matthew 25:14

So...reach out from your heart. It isn't enough to get the checkbook out and write a sum down and mail it to a charity, though that is a start. How about being charitable yourself, in deeds? Homeless...hungry...naked....sick....dying...

The answers are: homeless shelters can use donations of SOCKS...lots of them...and maybe personal hygiene products also. Maybe that homeless person you see on the street would like a cup of coffee AND your companionship as well.

Answer: the hungry need food. How can you help bring that food to them...or them to the food? 

Answer: naked. What do you do with all of the clothes that you were fortunate to have worn and no longer need? There are thrift shops that can always use volunteers to sort through them and ready them for a new owner...have you considered volunteering?

Answer: dying. Hospice care...or even just a visit to a nursing home and sitting with an elderly person; they need companionship as well.

Answer: the sick. Hospitals can also use volunteers to help out, may to assist those who need information or to just find out where their loved ones are.

You see, these are but a few of the many things that you can do to make that difference...their are so many more. For those who are addicts or alcoholics, can you volunteer as an AA sponsor...or be that person whom they can reach out to instead of a pill or a bottle? 

Who have you been Jesus to today?

I'll leave you with that last thought.
May you have a blessed, God-filled day!