The Next Best Thing
Today on my Facebook page I wrote this post…
Prayer Request!
I would really appreciate
it if you all could just take a few minutes to pray for my hubby. Last night
while he was watching the news he saw a young lady that he was certain was a
girl we had cared for about 12 years ago at our ministry. She was on the news
because she lives in a very dangerous part of town and the government apparently
is making all the people leave today because they did not have the proper
permits to be there. She is a single mother with 3 young children and nowhere
to go.
He is currently on his way to this very dangerous part of the city to
see if he can find her. If he is able to do so, we will then see in what ways
we can help her find a new place to live and hopefully work. Can you please
join me in praying for the following things?
1. Safety. He doesn't know
this area very well and it is very dangerous. Please pray for God to protect
him and give him wisdom on where to go.
2. That he can find this
young lady. She is someone he and I both connected with many years ago, and we
would really love to be able to help her. Please pray he can locate her without
a real direction and only going off of what was on the news last night.
3. For wisdom for us to
know the best way to help. We have some ideas running through our head but
without knowing the full situation it is hard to make any concrete plans.
Thank you so much for
praying friends!
Within
in minutes of posting it, I had so many people “liking” it or writing below
that they were praying. It was really
incredible and humbling at the same time.
For all the times that I have been annoyed with Facebook or with people
on it, that moment kind of made up for all of it. I was just so touched that so many of you
said “Yes! We will pray for you!”
Thank
you! What an amazing community God has
given me.
However,
something else happened that has since left me a little perplexed. Some folks wrote about how much they admired
Hubby and me and that they were really touched by our desire to help this young
lady.
Of
course I was so moved by those words, and I thank each and every one of you
that wrote them for taking the time to tell me.
But, I guess what I want to just remind all of you is that Hubby and I
aren’t any holier, better, nicer, kinder, or greater than anyone else. We truly aren’t.
We
fight. We get mad. We lose our
patience. We are selfish and
prideful. We choose ourselves way too
often. We get caught up in things of
this world and lose sight of what is truly in important. We are imperfect humans.
We
are just caught up by God’s incredible grace.
We have seen Him pick us up in our darkest hour and administer love and
care in a way that only He can.
He
has saved us. He has rescued us. And he has set us free time and time
again.
So
we look around at all we have, all we have been given, and all we have been
rescued from, and we choose to say, “Let’s keep giving back and pouring
ourselves out.” We are unworthy and
undeserving, but we know a God who loves us deeply and passionately, so that
makes us qualified.
Shortly
after I wrote that post asking for prayer, I saw a video on Facebook showing a
nursing home that opened up a daycare on its premises. It was so beautiful watching the little older
ladies zip up jackets for the kids and some of the older gentlemen playing
games. Everyone looked so happy!
Yesterday
I read a post about a lady who keeps extra purses and backpacks in her car
filled with toiletry items and snacks, and when she sees a homeless person, she
passes them out.
Last
week I read about a family that owns a small restaurant in Greece, and every
afternoon the owner takes sandwiches and drinks to one of the local beaches
that continues to see a daily influx of refugees.
All
over this world, people are using their gifts, their talents, and their
resources to just DO THE NEXT BEST THING. That’s it.
They aren’t trying to save the world. They aren’t ending world hunger or
rescuing every single person that is in trouble or in pain.
They are just choosing
every single day to do the next best thing.
And
that really is just what Hubby and I are trying to do too. We are so imperfect and so inadequate, but we
just keep pressing on. We have hard
days. We don’t always like our lot. We don’t always FEEL like doing
anything. I am certain there are days we
don’t even like each other all that much.
But we just keep choosing to do what we can, where we can, with what we
have.
We just do that
next best thing.
I don’t know what your life looks like. I don’t know your story or
circumstances. Maybe today you are
having trouble just getting out of bed.
THAT IS OKAY! No one is really looking for perfection. Maybe today your next best thing is something
so entirely small that it doesn’t even feel worth mentioning.
But please just DO IT
ANYWAY!
Maybe for another one of you, your next best thing is
cooking dinner for the family down the road that is going through a hard time
and is having trouble making ends meet.
Maybe you are a stay at home, homeschooling mama, and you
could start taking your kids up to the local nursing home once a week and just
have your kids learn how to love some of these forgotten folks.
I don’t know what your next best thing is. But, I can tell you don’t have to be some
sort of saint or superhero to do it. You
don’t have to be rich or famous. You
just have to be you and do what YOU can do.
The next best thing…
Whatever that is, just do it. Take a step.
It might be scary. It may be so
outside of your comfort zone. But I can
tell you it will make a difference.
I recently heard this Garth Brooks’ song again after not
having heard it for many years. However after listening to it once, I had to
put it on repeat like 3 times in a row because it touched me so much. It may seem silly, but I think if you really
read the words, it speaks so much truth.
Read the lyrics and just let them sink in. Then think about what your next best thing is
going to be…
“Standing Outside the Fire”
Garth Brooks
We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned
We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always comes with getting burned
But you've got to be tough when consumed by desire
'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire
We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall
We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all
They're so hell-bent on giving, walking a wire
Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire
There's this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can't abide
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire
Despite all the ugly and pain we see on a daily basis, there
is still much beauty to be had and experienced.
If we start taking our small little portion and pouring it out as a love
offering for others, I believe we will experience a depth of beauty and
loveliness that is more than our minds can even imagine.
I don’t know about you but I want to be a part of that. I know there will be a cost and I know there
will be sacrifice, but I believe with all my heart that is and will be worth
it.
[Update on the young
lady: We have located her and her other
siblings. They are okay, praise the Lord,
but we are still sorting through some details.
Thank you for praying and please continue to do so. This family and so many families like this
one need your prayers and our help!]