Friday, April 30, 2010

Life Abundant

I had just been at my son's school. The teacher I was consulting with that day got an email while I was there telling  him that someone close to where he lives house had caught fire. It was a street where some of the kids from our church lived so I hopped right over to see if it was their home. I had hoped not...they had had so many struggles and this would just add to it! It wasn't.

I stopped to talk to the firemen(all firemen have been special to me since living in NYC during 9-11-01). I had asked if the chaplain had been there and they said yes. I asked if the occupants were ok and they said that no one had been at home but that the grandma was sitting in the yard.

I approached her and she was crying...holding her grandson in her arms. Her daughter had left something burning on the stove. Her daughter had some mental challenges but was independent. Grandma was desperate. She had over and over again tried to teach her daughter some safety rules. Daughter didn't get it. Everything now was destroyed.

What to do?  I ended up referring her to one of our ministry centers in town and she will be able to restock her clothes and furniture eventually. Someone at the center reached out to her, prayed with her and sent her to where she is staying with clothes, food and hope! She will be followed up with a pastoral visit and hopefully connect with a particular church in that neighborhood.
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I have often struggled with the line between enabling/ rescuing people.  Because of that struggle, I have used scripture as my model. I have noticed as I have read that every time Jesus helped someone, He EMPOWERED them! He didn't just give them something physical. He gave them spiritual, physical and emotional empowerment.  He even said in John 10:10..." I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly."  In Christs' teachings, "abundant life" has a deeper meaning than just the physical. It is talking about experiencing Christ to the fullest...to be content, to be at peace.  I have experienced that over the last 37 years of my life.

Each day I pray that I will be able to offer the hope of the abundant life of Christ. I have certainly seen it in my own life....and know it is true!

Pray for K as she rebuilds her life. Pray that she will find HOPE in Christ through the tragedy that she has experienced.

Lisa