We had our March Madness already as our Cedar Grove Chargers were playing in the championship game last Saturday. Unfortunately, the other team made a desperation shot at the end of the game to win. A big disappointment to the boys and coaches, but a great season of building of character took place. Thank you all for your attendance, support and prayers for our team. Everybody was doing well at the camps. Lots of good food was served from our kitchen in the form of to go boxes.
Monday we welcomed our children for our afternoon tutoring session. Unfortunately the school was closed Wednesday due to a rash of illnesses, so we missed our kids. Spring breaks next week, so the center will be quiet for a week!
Tuesday evening the men of the community gathered to discuss what God is doing in their lives as Brother George read from Philippians 2, imitating Christ's humility. Are we doing that?
Thursday evening, Bryce and Ms Abbie got us started in chapel praising God. Brother Chester shared the Word. We then enjoyed Mexican night in the dining hall, with tacos and all the trimmings provided by Z and Ms Abbie. The Market was stocked full of groceries and the clothing room was being shopped all night long. We had lots of help from our friends at Elizabeth Baptist church, so everything flowed smoothly. A fun evening.
Prayers for our long time friend Noel. He was involved in a car wreck Wednesday evening and is in the hospital. Continued prayers for Abbey as she continues to struggle with her health. Joe Barefield is back at home after a couple of days in the hospital.
Have those of you who go to Grace on Sundays, ever wonder what it would be like to go to a Saturday night service? This weekend would be a great time to try. We have the Simple Church coming Sunday morning from 9:30 - noon to work around the center. We could use your help and supervision! We have lots of projects for them to do, so we need lots of help to show them where everything is!
Imitating Christ's humility, hard thing to do. Verse 3, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Not possible if we are in this business for ourselves. Then verse 3 continues, rather, in humility value others above yourselves, verse 4, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
During my wife's health issues these past several years, I tell people, the only time I see her smile is when our grandchildren are around. Yes some of it is the grandchildren, but mainly it is we are putting first the kids and focusing our efforts on them, not on ourselves. We receive the blessings of the lvoe of our grand kids. Jesus is asking us to do the same for others.
One of our guys Tuesday night shared some of his past. 20 years ago, drugs and alcohol ruled his life. He was living in abandoned houses, under bridges, stealing, living a life of utter depravity. He didn't care who he hurt or what it took to get his next fix or bottle. He was in Mobile, with nothing to eat, smelling from the oppressive heat and no shower, his feet were beginning to get sores on them. He made his way to a shelter where he knew they gave out clothes and food. He went in, asking a lady for a pair of socks. She said, Sir, I don't know if we have any but I will look. She came back and said Sir, I don't have any that match but will you take these two that don't? He gladly did and walked out. 20 years later, our new Christian brother still remembers this act of kindness from a stranger, living a life imitating Christ's humility.
Verse 8, shares how Jesus lived a life as a servant, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross! We are asked to be obedient in our journeys. We will have questions, we will wonder, we will not understand sometimes where God had placed us. But God know, He only asks us to be obedient.
The last thing that struck me listening to our brother share his story, was becoming a servant. We often think of being a servant as a lowly occupation. In the world it is, but not in God's Kingdom. Jesus could have been anybody he wanted to be, a king, a ruler, but he chose, he chose to be a servant. Being a servant should be what we strive to be, not something we have to be.
As our brother shared his story, tears came to his eyes, all our eyes. He stopped for moments in his story to compose himself, as the tears flowed. This lady, being obedient in her journey, imitating Christ's humility, was still having an effect on our brother 20 years later. She called him Sir, when he felt he was not worthy to be called Sir. She took time to show him compassion. We never know what kind of effect we will have on others because it is not us that is showing lvoe it is the Christ within us showing the lvoe. As we all know, Christ can do amazing things, if we just get out of the way and let Him go! Amen.
Have a great weekend, hope to see you at the center Sunday morning. Let's practice imitating Christ's humility this week and the weeks to come!
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