“The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:7-11
What happens next? God will place another opportunity along your journey to serve one of his children. To our brothers and sisters living in Haiti, that child of God may be a friend or foe; a fellow servant that is broken or a gang member full of hate. These words in first Peter don’t get any easier for residents of this sinful world, love each other deeply no matter how much you dislike them, offer hospitality without grumbling. This world tells me this is crazy talk; people who follow this kind of thinking are probably not competent to stand trial.
Perhaps the end of all things is really drawing near, because this world that we live in just keeps moving farther and farther away from the truth that our Savior encouraged us to live and instructed us how to serve.
At times, it seems like the best service I am capable of doing is serving Him by helping children in a foreign country who are poor, don’t speak a word of my language, do not eat on a regular basis and are being tormented by gang members. By the grace of God, this sinful wretch that I am is capable of helping to feed the children at the Lutheran School in Ouanaminthe who are getting their hands washed before they eat. For this simple act of service, He uses my gifts, my prayers and my continual thoughts to do His work while preparing them to go and share the Gospel message in Haiti.
Thank you for joining me in this simple service of feeding them, and helping them to become His missionaries in Haiti.
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