40 Day Walk With God — May 26, 2014

Day 36–
MISSIONAL EXCELLENCE

1 John 3:16-18
This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. But if a person has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need and that person doesn’t care—how can the love of God remain in him? Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and I was sorting children’s clothing at the local campground where many underserved people permanently lived. Their dwellings were old broken down RVs and tents. It was part of a clothing giveaway sponsored by a corporative ministry in Wilson County called S.A.L.T., which is the acronym for Serving At the Lord’s Table.

We had gathered clothing from the six churches, sorted it, and carried it out to the campground that morning so the children could have some new clothing for school and the fall season. I had just finished laying out the children’s clothing by sizes, when a beautiful, little Hispanic girl came up to me, and translated a question from her mother concerning the clothing. With her large dark eyes, she asked,

“How much can we have?”

I look at her and said, you can have

“ALL YOU WANT.”

Isn’t that what Jesus would say? You can have “All You Want.” All you have to do is ask. Jesus calls us to serve others, not by just giving part, but by giving overly and abundantly of what we have. We found through the ministry at the campground that we were showing God’s love to the people who lived there through our actions.

Prayer:
Father God, would you help us search our hearts for areas where we can be “Jesus” to the lost and needy? Would you give us strength and resources to be your hands and feet. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN.

Sue Pedigo
Spiritual Formation Team, Tennessee Conference