My husband and I were new in our church. Since he is retired and loves the Lord, he wanted to become involved in a ministry. Of course he’s a gregarious extravert and loves working with people.
He found the perfect ministry – the committee that does repairs and other odd jobs for people in the church who can’t do the work themselves, such as widows and the elderly. His first job was in a neighboring town putting up a fence that had blown down in a recent windstorm. The head of the committee dropped by our house to pick my husband up in his truck.
The other man is about 10 years younger than my husband and outworked him showing more stamina than my dear mate. They dug holes with those post diggers and “planted” new posts where they should go working hard for over four hours. My husband came home tired and dirty.
So, what is so unusual about that? Sounds logical that the other guy would outwork Joe. Here’s what impressed me. The other man lost his leg in a work accident. Not just to the knee like my character Holly in Flawless, but all the way to the hip. Joe said that when they dug holes, the man didn’t let his crutches stop him.
The guy gets around faster than me. I’ve seen him easily traverse the steps at church down to the fellowship room quicker than most people.
He doesn’t feel sorry for himself nor allows his handicap to stop him from serving the Lord. He’s truly a blessing to me and an example of a person whom God can use despite having experienced the ravages of living in a fallen world.
In Philippians, the Bible tells us we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. I think our friend from church takes this scripture to heart. He is an inspiration. He could’ve worked in another ministry – maybe visiting shut-ins or passing out bulletins on Sunday. Or decided he couldn’t serve. But no, he chose doing physical labor for others who were unable to accomplish the task. That says something to me. If God ordains it, He’ll provide the means.
Sometimes I feel like giving up when I’m writing my stories. I tell myself I don’t have all it takes to be a good writer. I’m terrible at marketing. I don’t have enough readers who like my books. But God provided inspiration and an unexpected blessing through our friend at church. This godly man has been a great example, helping me to have the courage to write on.
That man is a great example that even when we face trials, we can continue serving. I can’t do all the activities I did in the past, due to arthritis in spine and neck. Yet, God has provided wonderful ways for me to share His love and glory with others. June, you are a great writer and your stories have messages we all need to read. Keep writing. 🙂
He loves the Lord and stood fearless before Him. I need to have more courage as he does. Thanks for stopping by today, Melissa. And thank you for the kind words.