I hope your Labor Day weekend was great. Let me tell you about a great story about a Labor of Love that happened this weekend.
Last week, one of our members fell and had a severe break of her leg that will require her to use a wheel chair for some time. She and her husband live in a beautiful farm house but there was no handicap access into the home. The challange was to figure out how to get a ramp built into the home before she was released to go home for a long recuperation.
That is where the amazing part of this story begins. As this Labor Day weekend began, Jeff Smolek found out about the dilema facing this couple. He sent out an email to the United Methodist Men on this past Friday that said the following.
"(The husband) is overwhelmed with finances, time and concerns. Plain and simple I volunteered to get the ramp built. I honestly do not know where I will get the time and help, but with His help it WILL get done....I am sending this e-mail to the Thursday Night guys, Friday Morning guys, Methodist Men and possibly even SNL high schoolers. The timing stinks with a holiday weekend coming up and the SNLers going back to school, but I am sure (the wife) did not plan this misfortune...(I am not sure how but)....I darn well know the Lord has not made something too big for Him and us to handle.
Within two hours, volunteers with love, tools and compassionate hearts responded. A total of 15 men spent time this weekend working to build the ramp. It is now Monday night, three days since the email, and I just got off the phone with Jeff. The ramp is done.
I spent time with the couple last night in the hospital and they were so blessed and touched that so many could care so much with tangible acts of love. It is a simple story of need, someone who saw the need and cared enough to ask for help and the response of God lived out in the hands, talent and willingness of those who made this weekend an unplanned act of holiness. Thanks be to God!!!!!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Holy Stories
If you heard the messages on Righteous Mission Sunday, (August 1) you heard powerful testimonies from people whose lives were changed this summer. (If you missed it, go to the home page and search out the videos you find there. ) Donna Couture spoke with emotion on the impact of working with children in Flint. She also spoke about the connection of grace and love the 60+ adults experienced during the amazing week of service at Whaley's Children Home.
Austin Klebba gave witness about the new life starts (including his own) that occured at the mission site he worked on with others on the High School Righteous Mission week. Paul Anderson's description of experiencing the overwhelming grace of Jesus Christ he has come to know since entering this ministry in the past two year was a beautiful witness. He is a young man not raised in a faith community and now can speak with holy eloquence and encouragement to the Body of Christ.
Duncan Bone thought he knew what he was getting into when he came on board as a youth ministry intern this summer. We had expectations of what he would do for us in this area. All of us experienced divine surprise when we saw what God had planned all along. Duncan touched more lives for the sake of Christ than anyone fully understands. The call God is placing in him became more clearly defined. He has left us to finish school and prepare for what God has in store next for him. He nor our youth ministry will be the same again. Because of the success of his role as intern, we are hiring another youth ministry intern for this fall. God has opened up new doors and we, in faith, are walking through them to new adventures.
I write this on Labor Day weekend as I think about the summer past and the fall to come. Most people think of churches slowing down and not doing much in the summertime. That has not been true for us these past months and I pray will never be true again. For God is always calling, blessing and challenging the faithful to meet human need and fulfill holy plans. Thank God for the summer past and a fall of even more amazing blessing to come. To God be the Glory!!!!
Austin Klebba gave witness about the new life starts (including his own) that occured at the mission site he worked on with others on the High School Righteous Mission week. Paul Anderson's description of experiencing the overwhelming grace of Jesus Christ he has come to know since entering this ministry in the past two year was a beautiful witness. He is a young man not raised in a faith community and now can speak with holy eloquence and encouragement to the Body of Christ.
Duncan Bone thought he knew what he was getting into when he came on board as a youth ministry intern this summer. We had expectations of what he would do for us in this area. All of us experienced divine surprise when we saw what God had planned all along. Duncan touched more lives for the sake of Christ than anyone fully understands. The call God is placing in him became more clearly defined. He has left us to finish school and prepare for what God has in store next for him. He nor our youth ministry will be the same again. Because of the success of his role as intern, we are hiring another youth ministry intern for this fall. God has opened up new doors and we, in faith, are walking through them to new adventures.
I write this on Labor Day weekend as I think about the summer past and the fall to come. Most people think of churches slowing down and not doing much in the summertime. That has not been true for us these past months and I pray will never be true again. For God is always calling, blessing and challenging the faithful to meet human need and fulfill holy plans. Thank God for the summer past and a fall of even more amazing blessing to come. To God be the Glory!!!!
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