Todd and Jessie joined their dinner group tonight in a special prayer time for Darren, diagnosed with a brain tumor. Their son Ian has been coughing with the same congestion that has run through their family, so we took the kids for the evening. After dinner, we played the bunny game, a Beatrix Potter version of Chutes and Ladders that is a favorite of Gemma. A few rousing rounds of "Nines," another card game, and several cutthroat sets of Connect Four with Eliza (she's pretty good at it), and it was 9:30 before we knew it.
St. Paul reminded us of our connectedness in Christ when he spoke of our being part of his Body, and of how when one part of the Body hurts, we all feel the pain. We rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, and we use our gifts for the benefit of all. In our humanness, we tend to honor those gifts that seem more significant, such as preaching or teaching, counseling and leading worship, forgetting that it's the hidden gifts that are often most necessary. This week, Linda and my contribution to the Body consisted of watching kids so parents could do what they needed to do. It may not be as significant as the prayers themselves, but it made some of those prayers possible. We weren't able to actually contribute to the healing of the little baby who landed back in Children's Hospital with an infection, but we made it possible for her mother to be with her.
There are many ways to serve the Body of Christ; some upfront and noticeable, others more in the background. As a pastor, I've had my share of the upfront kinds. This week, we were a part of the behind the scenes type ministry, and it's been good. Whatever we've been able to give has already been returned to us manyfold, as we've been blessed by the children in our care. I am grateful tonight for the privilege of serving on the "other side."
No comments:
Post a Comment