January 7, 2019 – Click here to listen
My next-door neighbor, Mike, died last week. The last time I saw him alive I brought my battery charger over and hooked it up to his car. He’d left the lights on all night. He invited me in and he recounted a recent outing in his boat. He’d hit a big wave going entirely too fast, and his wife Barbara got knocked down and broke her leg in three places. Mike was hurrying to get her to a hospital and then ran aground badly damaging the bottom of his boat. Tow Boat USA had to dig a trench in order to tow his boat off the sandbar and back to his home.
Mike was irate that his boat had not been repaired. I asked, “What’s the rush?” And he smiled and replied, “I’m anxious to get back out there so I can do it again!” Then he laughed heartily. Barbara who’d just got her cast off was not amused.
I returned from my friend TK’s funeral and another neighbor told me Mike had taken a turn for the worse and was on his deathbed and refusing further treatment. I wanted to talk to him, but the family would not allow any visitors because his condition was so bad. A couple of days later Mike was gone. He’d had acute leukemia as long as I’d known him, but his body finally gave up the fight. Like TK his mind was sharp as ever right up to the very end, but his body had endured all it could take. That is what made it so difficult.
Now a few days after Mike’s passing Barbara has had a serious stroke. She is currently in the hospital and we are praying for her. She has lung cancer and the stroke might have been caused by the chemo or other complications. We are praying that she doesn’t have another stroke and can recover. I ask you to take a moment and join me and pray for her now.
Some might wonder why they should pray for a complete stranger.
I once had a friend that was always whining about his position in life. He’d wanted to be a doctor but ended up being a pharmaceutical rep. He made a great salary, well over 6 figures, but it wasn’t enough. One day I told him that he was in the top 1% of the world and there were people out there that did not even have running water, electricity, or food to eat. He told me that he didn’t care about them, he cared about himself. I couldn’t believe he said it, especially since he claimed to be a Christian.”
C.S. Lewis once said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” I see this man’s conduct through the lens of being a Christian. His behavior is similar to those who crossed the street to avoid helping the man who had been beaten and robbed and the most religious people of the day spurned him, and a despised Samaritan stopped and helped him. Jesus told this story to remind those religious hypocrites that God’s love is filled with compassion.
Do you care about others who might be suffering? Do you love them?
John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.