Tuesday, August 18, 2009

decay & details

The decay of body is the prelude to Glory - John Piper


Justice Gardens has been working with a local couple who is in great need. the man has stage 4 cancer and both have been unable to work for at least a year now - he because of his illness and she because she is taking care of him. needless to say they have accrued quite a bit of debt in medical bills and so forth over the last few years. every week we are able to bless them with a sack of fresh food and she called me today to express deep thanks. it was moving to talk to her, in fact when i hung up i cried. she desperately wants to grow old with her husband but he is rapidly deteriorating. i of course am projecting my own life onto the situation, was thinking of how heartbreaking it would be to lose david, my children, my parents, my brothers. i cannot even fathom that slow grief coupled with the intense weight of hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. im in the process of organizing a work day at their apartment to declutter their garage and porch so that the husband may sit outside unhindered and enjoy what will likely be the last summer of his life. im also putting the word out that they are in need of someone detail oriented that might help them sort through years of papers to prep for an upcoming deadline for them to settle a tax discrepancy. (not necessarily an accountant i believe - just someone to sort piles of papers).

my heart is one of action. in fact to a fault. i struggle with the idea that "prayer is practical" (which is wrong of me - it should be the foundation of all action. it is active not passive). i want to DO for these people. the kingdom of God looks like people doing things for one another. taking up the burdens of others when they can no longer bear them themselves.

it is always interesting how someone can come to you for help and you find yourself being shown so much about God through them.

4 comments:

Kristin said...

I'm so glad you're helping these people. That is what life is about!

Anonymous said...

Would that I had pieces of your soul in mine.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Momma Bear said...

you have such an intense empathetic heart for people. you don't see that every day.