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I wanted to start today talking about the Olympics and one of the special athletes of the games. This person is a world record holder and won a Gold Medal in the 400M hurdles for the USA. Her name is Sydney McLaughlin, and she is different because she is Christian who isn’t afraid to share her faith. “Records come and go but the Glory of God is Eternal. I don’t deserve anything. But by GRACE through faith, Jesus has given me everything”! Pretty amazing young lady how many of us can say the same thing something to think about.
I want to share some of my background. I was born in the library and raised in Worland, WY and my family attended the Methodist Church. My Sunday School had a lot of kids attending and our service was always well attended. How things have changed! My grandparents lived here in Thermopolis, and I remember taking the train from Worland to Thermopolis to see them. Does anyone else remember the passenger train? What an adventure that was. I can remember vaguely coming to church here with my grandmother who was a saint but that is another story. I can remember going to church with my family at Christmas in Worland and coming home after the service and I would wear over my church clothes a bath robe and preach a message about Christmas to my family. I guess I wanted to be the next Billy Graham at the time. And if you’re worried, I can assure you I won’t wear my bathrobe and won’t have a Christmas message today!! Not saying the Christmas story isn’t very important!! But what I’m going to talk about I think is very important to all of us in our day to day walk with God as his light shines bright on our path he has for us. One of the things that are very important is giving to others in need. Preparing for this message I was amazed the number of verses in the bible that talk about this subject. We see it in our lives here in Thermopolis with the Cookie Jar Auctions where people step up to help those in need with medical issues that have impacted their lives. It’s amazing the level of support these events have and the generosity of the People of Thermopolis. Having done a little research on this it seems it was started to help the HS football team raise money to go down under to play a game and then he just kept going and it has been tried in other area communities but just doesn’t stay going the people of HS County are the difference. I can remember a fund raiser we had at my work where we raised money for Hospice care in Fremont County. We had a chili cook off and an auction to raise the money. Many time I had debated on not doing it, but God wouldn’t let that happen. It amazed me that we had the support we had for this cause. Everyone really felt a sense of community and a purpose helping people that are facing the end of their lives! And recently I watched the movie “Cabrini” which I highly recommend to everyone. I don’t know how many people have seen the movie, but it is a must see in my opinion. The main charter Cabrini accomplished so much for so many. She didn’t understand “it can’t be done” because she would get it done no matter what. This took place in the late 1800’s & early 1900’s in New York during a time when Italians were discriminated and disliked. She accomplished so much and built hospitals across the world and the number of young kids she saved was unbelievable. Another movie I would recommend is “Ordinary Angels”. This is a true story about a family that had lost their mother and the father, and his 2 girls had to face this hardship and then the youngest daughter who was 5 had health issues and needed a liver transplant. While watching a story on the local news about the issues the young girl was facing a local lady decided she needed help. She started raising money for the young girl at her job as a hairdresser. She also had some issues in her life she was dealing with, facing an issue with alcohol and having a son that wasn’t in her life. She was helping this girl and ultimately herself. I would tell you about the rest of the story but that would ruin the movie for you. But it is a story that you sure need a few tissues, but one that is worth watching. While these were examples of helping people in a different setting My message today involves helping someone that you don’t know and must do it face to face an uncomfortable situation. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 One on One Contact I'd like to share a story that I read recently. As I was leaving Best Buy, I noticed this man going through the garbage can outside of the store. As I walked to my car, I watched him as he reached into the garbage can and pulled out fast food trash bags and inspected all that was in the thrown away bags. He did this for several minutes. He would find a few fries in one bag and a bite or two of a hamburger in another bag. You can see the hamburger wrapper by his knee where he was placing the food items he'd found. He never bothered anyone or tried to stop and beg for money as people entered and left the store. After he went through the entire trash can, he neatly cleaned up the area and wrapped up the food he had found in the dirty hamburger wrapper. My heart hurt for him. **** For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:11 I am not someone who just hands out money or even helps homeless people, because so many are not truly homeless. I don't guess I've ever seen someone go through a garbage can to try to find food to eat. I knew I had to help him. I got out of my car and asked if I could buy him something to eat. He told me he would appreciate anything I could get him. He was on a bike, and I told him if he'd follow me I'd buy him a meal at the fast food place around the block. He followed me and I bought the biggest meal they had on the menu. The only request he gave me for this order was if he could get a big glass of sweet tea to go with the meal. Brought the food to him. He was so thankful. He told me his name was Steve and he'd been homeless ever since his sister died last September. He was trying to get off the streets, but it was so hard. I told him God loved him and I would pray for him. He told me again how much he appreciated the meal. When I got back in my car, I drove off with such a heaviness in my heart for this man. I drove down the road and felt compelled to go back to help this man. When I came back, he had finished his meal and was riding away. I pulled up beside him and asked him if there was any way I could help him. He told me not really. He never asked me for money. I asked him if I could buy him a few meals and put them on a gift card for him. He told me that would be kind. I drove to McDonald's and bought him some meals and gave him a gift card. He broke down crying. He told me that he had prayed for me today. I wasn't sure what he meant. I was assuming he was praying for me, for what I did for him. So, I thanked him. He said no, you don't understand. I prayed that God would send someone to buy me a hot meal today, and he sent you. “We’ve divided the world into ‘those who need help’ and ‘those who offer help.’ The truth is we are both.” —Candace Brown I didn’t know what to say, I was speechless. Maybe God uses me to answer this man's prayer, to let him know that he cares for him. But maybe God used this man to show me just how blessed I am and what I take for granted. He said you see; I have cancer. He pulled up his shirt and pointed to a huge mass that was poking out from his stomach. He said he knew it wouldn't be much longer. I asked him if he knew Jesus. He told me that he did. I asked if I could pray for him, and he said that I could. We prayed right there on the sidewalk of McDonald's. Tears just poured from his eyes. He told me he knew that he was going to die and that he was ready to die. He was tired of being in pain and would be better off dead, because this was no life living this way. I stayed and encouraged him for a few minutes, just trying to fight back my tears. My prayer is that I showed him the love of Jesus today, that something I said gave him hope. You see, everybody has a story. I know Steve's story all because I felt compelled to help him. He ended up touching me today. When I left him, I knew I had done what God wanted me to do. God put him in my path today. I know he did. I never felt such a feeling to help someone as I did today. I was reminded again of how blessed I am. I have a vehicle that gets me from place to place. I have a roof over my head, clean clothes, money to buy a hot meal, running water, electricity, my health, a job, family and friends. Sometimes God sends situations our way to remind us of how blessed we are. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV Please remember people like Steve in your prayers. Yes, I have been blessed. God's so good to me. Precious are his thoughts of you and me. There's no way I could count them, there's not enough time, so I'll just thank him for being so kind. God has been good, so good. I've been blessed. I've been blessed. This is an eye-opening story that we see everyday in our lives, how many times have you seen something similar to this? Did you listen to God and help that person even if it was not a great situation to have to face? Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NIV Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:11 Amen! Scripture for today’s service. Deuteronomy 15:7-11 ESV “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care let there be an unworthy thought in your heart, and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
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