[Author's Note: For those receiving this blog for the first time: Terry writes a weekly blog devotion including an invitation to join him and his friends at Java Journey for a time of fellowship on Thursday mornings. Read my words here, join me at Java Journey this and every Thursday morning from 6:30 AM til 7:45 AM.]
[Editors Note: Terry wrote these words, but they came directly from Me. Be encouraged, be blessed. YHWH]
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. ---2 Corinthians 8:9
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Way back in my High School days I read a book by John Howard Griffin titled Black Like Me. The book was published in 1961 and was a non-fiction account of a white man who passed himself off as a black man, while traveling on Greyhound buses and hitchhiking in the deep south. He wanted to feel what it was like to be a black man in those racially prejudiced times. Griffin kept a journal of his experiences and that journal was the basis for his book. It was good to read of his experiences. This past Friday night a dozen or so folks from FBC participated in Plunge 2 Poverty - a simulation where we lived in a cardboard box that we constructed for one night, we didn't eat, we had visits from the HPD who talked to us about the homeless in our area. It was an eye-opening time as we had moments of experiencing just a bit of what the poor and homeless in our area go through. Also this weekend the youth and some adults from FBC had the honor of manning a rest station for Brett's Ride. Brett Gosnell died of a rare form of cancer as a very young college student and his family hosts a bike ride each year in the fall to honor Brett and to raise awareness and money for cancer research. After helping with this event I pondered a bit about what it must feel like for the Gosnell family to have experienced the death of their child. They honor him in a big way each year, but the pain of their loss must be difficult to bear.
Mr Griffin experienced a small taste of what the life of a black man was like way back in the early 1960's.
Some FBC folks this weekend experienced a small taste of poverty and homelessness.
I pondered moments of the pain the Gosnell family must have experienced over their loss.
Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.--John 16:22
But guys, none of those attempts come close to the reality of the pain, despair and grief these folks have felt. We can make feeble attempts at feeling another person's pain or life experiences, and I think it's a good thing to attempt it, but we cannot truly know how another soul on the planet feels. Monday morning on my drive in to Caldwell Hospice, I experienced another one of those awesome drives where Almighty God was right there with me in my car. The air was cool, the sky was covered with intermittent clouds - deep grays, bold whites and intense pinks as the sun shone on them from a distance. There is one view of Grandfather Mountain I get while coming down Hwy 90 into Lenoir that was just spectactular. I was awestruck and I was having one of my moments with my Creator. And I can make feeble attempts at describing my feelings to you, but my desire is for you to feel them for yourself. This morning, my King was holding my heart and He can truly feel what lies therein.
In our brief life on Earth, we will feel moments of hopelessness and despair, we will feel intense pain and grief, and we will have some awesome mountaintop experiences that take our breath away. And all through those feelings and emotions, God Almighty is there with us, carrying us, holding our hearts, whispering into our ear that He LOVES us. You see, He loves us, His creation, so much that He sent His son to die for us. Ponder on that for some time today - make feeble attempts at feeling the love that God has for you. Trust me, you won't get close to knowing the depth of that love, but it is a good thing to make attempts to feel it. And when you do feel moments of His love for you, then make another attempt at sharing that experience with another soul. A soul who needs an encouraging word, who needs a hand up, a soul who is in the midst of despair, grief or lonliness. Reach out and touch the heart of another soul with the love of your Creator. Two souls will be blessed in the process.
Challenge: Reach out and touch someone's hand. Make this world a better place...if you can.
"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you."
~ Frederick Buechner
Sorry guys, but I cannot word it any better than Diana Ross did in the song that I quoted in my challenge above. I think Mr. Griffin made the world a better place. I believe the folks who organized our Plunge 2 Poverty are making attempts. And I know that Brett Gosnell has made the world a better place. Let's join their efforts, let's carry on their legacy, let's honor our King. Let's make attempts at sharing in the pain and grief of our friends and then let's reach out and touch them. OK, all together now....both hands raised high in the air...sing along with me...reach out and touch, somebody's hand....make this world a better place, if you can. Reach out and touch......
And early on Thursday morning won't you join me over at Java Journey for some awesome time of fellowship? Guys I am touched each week while hearing accounts of your lives, your struggles and your joy. Join me there and together we can start a Revolution of Caring. You know, we all want to change the world. C U there.
Terry
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To make an attempt at knowing who Brett Gosnell was, read the words on this site: http://www.brettsride.org/docs/who_was_brett.pdf
To learn more about Plunge2Poverty...ask Dacia Jones
To read Black Like Me, order the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Like-John-Howard-Griffin/dp/0451192036
To learn more about God's amazing Love for YOU, read His word here: http://www.biblegateway.com/
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