Everyone Can Be a Volunteer

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He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. Luke 10:34 NIV

My volunteering in nursing homes began with a friend named Darryl, who with his wife Beverly went to church with us. Then one day Darryl had a massive stroke and ended up in a nursing home about thirty minutes away from where we lived. Since my job was in that city, Beverly would often ask if I could stop by some day after work to visit him. Though that sounded like a nice idea, but I procrastinated because I knew how tired I was at the end of the workday. Every week I made another excuse, but every week Beverly persistently asked (and the Holy Spirit was convicting me!) Finally, I decided to at least give it a try, and that visit, some thirty-four years ago, opened the way to becoming a volunteer chaplain, which has been of the greatest blessings of my life.

But being a volunteer goes far beyond the walls of long-term care facilities. For example, we have friends with three daughters, ages 10-17. Their youngest is named Laura and Laura is a down’s syndrome child. Raising their girls with equal love has been a tough balancing act because sometimes Laura requires so much time and energy that the other two have had to put their own time with mom and dad on hold. Then there is my good friend Rob in our men’s group who has multiple sclerosis. Rob struggles just to stand up and get a grip on his walker, at the end of each meeting, and yet he is there most weeks, in part because his wife Lisa helps him to get ready. If you think that these people are the exception, you would be correct. But the story of the Good Samaritan shows us, that God has strategically placed people in all our lives, to give us the opportunity to be what Jesus would call a volunteer – a good neighbor! As a neighbor we all know a Laura, a Rob or a Darryl and what we decide to do can change their lives and ours forever.

I once heard someone say that “If you can get paid for what you love to do then you will never work a day in your life.” But as a volunteer I like to think that “If we just love for free, the people God has put in our path, then one day we will discover treasures in Heaven that will last forever! “

Another Good Samaritan

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And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. Luke 27:15-16 ESV

With hospitals, charities and even news stories named after him, It doesn’t take a theologian to tell you about the “Good Samaritan.” But did you know there was another “Good Samaritan” we don’t hear much about. Like his better-known countryman, he did something good that others had decided not to. This man had a life destroying problem named leprosy, that forced him into quarantine outside of his village, where he lived with nine other lepers. Lepers were considered unclean, and in this man’s case doubly so because he was a Samaritan. As a Samaritan, he couldn’t live in the same neighborhood, worship in the same building or even drink from the same cup as Jews. Yet in spite of everything stacked against him, he along with his friends, cried out to Jesus for mercy. I will bet that they could hardly believe their ears when Jesus told them that all they had to do to be healed was to go to the priest. Understandably all of them (probably with a hoot and a holler) hightailed it towards town!

But halfway to the priest, this “Good Samaritan”, overwhelmed with gratitude, turned back to tell Jesus thank you. Though everyone else kept running towards the priest’s house, the Samaritan went back, and, like the wise men before him, he fell at Jesus’ feet to worship Him. So, I ask myself, when was the last time I, went to Jesus to give Him thanks for all He has done? When was the last time I fell at His feet to worship Him?

Children’s Book

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All Creatures Mostly Small is a collection of thirty-two children’s poems, each paired with a Bible verse and a simple lesson for young readers. Side by side with the poems and lessons are 85 pages filled with colorful illustrations and photos that kids will love. In between the two sections of the book is included a list of fun projects for the family, including a trip to the zoo, building a birdhouse or going to the nature center. The cover photograph is of our wonderful grandson Wyatt, for whom these lessons were originally written, and our prayer is that you will enjoy discovering that somewhere between the funny rhymes and challenging projects, that better reading and a closer walk with Jesus might just happen along the way!

All Creatures Mostly Small is available on Amazon in either print or digital form. For the print version you can follow this link.

Wyatt with His big sister
Madeline at a science fair