Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! I saw the sun brightly shining, for a little while and now this big dark cloud is hovering overhead. Although it is very warm outside right now, we are actually not supposed to be as hot today. Funny, thing...because of all the rain and the oak trees shading our front yard, we have weird, large orange and yellow toadstools all over. I knocked over several last evening. The squirrels eat them sometimes, so I guess they are not poison. It is very strange.
We did not get out much yesterday, but went to the Park around noontime and not many people were out and about. I saw a anhinga with the wings folded...strange, because they are usually spread wide, drying. The canal by the weir is full of trash still from the runoff . Guess volunteers will have to clean it up, since there is no staff around. But the grass is green, the weeds are tall, and God is good!
From Quiet Moments with God:
Beloved, thou doest a faithful work in whatsoever thou doest toward them that are brethren and stranger withal.
3 John 1:3 ASV
Kevin tells the story of a dear friend and fellow church member who passed away after a long life of love and service.
At the funeral, his children stood up one by one to tell stories abut their father, and soon you noticed a recurring theme: that his single most outstanding trait was his willingness to serve others, no matter what the need. He was one of those people who was always ready to lend a hand--to run an errand, do odd jobs or give someone a ride home. One of his daughters mentioned how everywhere he went, he kept a toolbox and a pair of coveralls in the trunk of his car, "just in case somebody needed something fixed."
More often than not, when we hear the word courage, we think of heroic acts in times of crisis. But in our everyday lives, we shouldn't overlook the courageousness of simply being there. Lives are changed when we faithfully provide for our families, care for the elderly, or lend an ear to a troubled friend. Persistence in making this world a better place to live--for ourselves and others--is definitely a form of courage.
Albert Schweitzer, the great Christian missionary, doctor and theologian, was once asked in an interview to name the greatest living person. He immediately replied, "The greatest living person in the world is some unknown individual who at this very moment has gone in love to help another."
As you go about your work today, remember that you could be someone else's hero.
The greatest work any of us can do
for another, whether old or young
is to teach the soul to draw it's water
from the wells of God.
F.B. Meyer
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
