“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:35-36. 40
The topic of ‘hoarding’ came up in our men’s Bible study last Saturday as we discussed how we sometimes keep hold of our time, talents and treasures; saving them for a rainy day. Doing that is not Kingdom thinking or building and prohibits us from the joy that comes from blessing others and also deprives us of seeing others being blessed by our lives. There are a large boat load of donors who freely give of their time, talents and treasures to Trinity/HOPE and provide over 22,500 meals to Haitian school children, teachers and cooks every day. If you would like to be a member in our boat, now is the time as Trinity/HOPE is set to launch the “Matthew 25 Project”. This is a shared sponsorship program that allows anyone donating a minimum of $20 per month to enjoy some of our most popular benefits from sponsoring a school. You and the other members of the “Matthew 25 Project” will be sponsoring the Carmarc School. This school has approximately 400 children and is in Les Cayes. Located along the southwest coast of Haiti. Three times each year you will receive a special electronic correspondence packet from Carmarc School. This will be custom made for the “Matthew 25 Project” and will include photos of the kids, drawings they created, and special messages from the principal or kids. More importantly, your $20 will help us feed 80 meals every month; that’s 960 meals during the school year. If you, or someone you know, would like to join the “Matthew 25 Project” please go to our recently updated website (www.trinityhope.org) and click on the Donate button. Next click ‘Donation’ below ‘Sponsor a School’ and then click on ‘Other’. Next you can populate the amount the box with $20, check recurring and write ‘Matthew 25 Project’ in the ‘Note’ box and complete your information. Thank you for your continued support and sharing of your time, talents and treasures to help to bring Hope to God’s children in Haiti. We only have so many gifts to give in our lifetime and periodically it is good to check on you amount of gifts and time remaining on this side of Heaven. I am closing today with the words from the first four verses of the hymn ‘Children of the Heavenly Father’ that were written by Karolina W. Sandell-Berg in 1858. It is interesting to note that shortly before writing this hymn, Sandell and her father were on a boat trip, when he fell overboard and drowned before her eyes and it is thought this tragedy gave birth to the lyrics.
“Children of the heavenly Father safely in His bosom gather; nestling bird nor star in Heaven such a refuge e’er was given. God, His own doth tend and nourish in His holy courts they flourish, from all evil things He spares them in His mighty arms He bears them. Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord, His children sever. Unto them His grace He showeth and their sorrows all He knoweth. Though He giveth or He taketh God His children ne’er forsaketh; His, the loving purpose solely to preserve them, pure and holy.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay