A Helping Hand

Love these happy bakers helping their mama!

"You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand."
Galatians 6:2

In 1980 my husband and a very eight months pregnant me, moved into a big old home, which was built in 1914.  This home had been in the same family all those years and they actually approached us about moving there.  When the heating bill was more than the mortgage we got a glimpse of why no one else had wanted to live there!  Ends up, it was such a God thing.  God knew we'd have six children in eight years and need the space. He knew my husband would teach a young couples' Sunday school class with forty couples who needed a place to gather and he knew we would become involved in a ministry called Young Life that needed a place for thirty-five kids on Monday nights.  The attic of this house was a perfect match.

One of the biggest chores for this property came in the fall. It sat on a two acre hill covered in oak trees!  UGH.  We were in that home for twenty-five years and I guarantee you my husband doesn't miss that yard a bit.  (Ha, those of you who know Shiloh, know it sits on five acres and has lots of trees and walnuts.)  In the early years my husband's father would take pity on him and bring his leaf blower and lend a helping hand to tackle the literal mountain of leaves. Whether the task is big or small we always feel better after we have helped someone.

Proverbs 22:6 says:
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Shout out to all of our children who are doing an excellent job of this. It's also been a joy to watch the parents at our church, who are teaching their children to serve the Lord with gladness!  Our church meets in our gym and every Sunday after the service people stack over 400 chairs without a grumble, so that groups can use the gym during the week. Both of the women who clean our church have large families and their children are the most servant hearted kids I know.

Lord, open the eyes of our hearts and show us where to be the hands and feet of Jesus in big and small ways.  In Jesus' name, Amen