He spoke on how ‘Love listens to people‘ and ‘Love looks at people‘. These statements have permeated my thoughts this past week. Recently, I decided to look up verses in the Bible involving the word LISTEN. I was brought to the chapter in Luke where Jesus is visiting his close friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. They are having Him over for dinner and Martha is running herself ragged, picking up the house, setting the table and preparing the meal. In contrast to her, Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet soaking up His every Word. Finally, Martha can’t take it anymore. She is frustrated and she goes to talk to Jesus about it. Maybe it is because I identify with Martha, but I often feel we are quick to judge her actions. As the scene played out in my head, I saw Martha as she maintained self-control even though she was visibly upset. She didn’t yell at her sister or grab her arm and pull her into the kitchen. Instead, she approached her Creator. She asked Him for wisdom in the situation. In essence, she prayed to Him. And, when she spoke to Jesus, He was not surprised by her words. He knew her heart. She simply wanted to serve Him but she just needed a gentle reminder how best to go about doing it. Lovingly, Jesus reminded her that He is to be first above everything, only then would the rest fall into place.
The same is true for us today. Galatians 5:6 tells us that ‘The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love.’ If we are to be people of action, we need to first fix our eyes on Jesus, the one who took off His heavenly robes and came down to earth to show us how to live. We need to sit at His feet and learn from Him, through studying His Word daily and coming together to worship Him each week. It is then that we are equipped to be an example of His love: One that listens to people and looks at people. We at So Big are building a community where we can share that love, showing that every life matters to God and to us. We are continuing to make progress as we prepare the Mountain House for the women and children we will serve. We have set a goal to open our doors by Mother’s Day, 2017. We have submitted applications for variances that will be presented before the state on March 7. In the meantime, we are working to repair to the house to make it safe and to bring it up to code for inspection. We have remediated the house of lead paint, asbestos and mold. Universal Roofing has put a new roof and gutters on the house. Smith Electric has repaired problems in the electrical wiring, and All Pro Plumbing is scheduled to address issues this week. In addition, we are putting together teams for carpentry repairs and remodeling. As the house is being transformed, we have also begun the process of establishing the guidelines for running the maternity home. We are excited to see God answering prayers as we move forward and follow Him. We can’t do it alone though. We need your help. Please prayerfully consider how you can join us in helping these women as they work to create a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. You can visit our website at sobig.org where you sign up to volunteer or donate online or you can contact me directly at [email protected]. God’s Peace, Lori Comments are closed.
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