You can’t give love away to the needy without receiving a return from God. The Bible talks about this idea that caring for the poor is like lending to God and he will greatly reward those who do so.
The return may come in unexpected ways. Check out this story of a man who got actively involved and how it came back to benefit his own son.
From Matt:
“First time I met Donald was at the Ironman conference at the mission. Jerry Jenkins was Donald’s mentor. I learned the mentor mentee relationship from watching Donald and Jerry. Since just before Jerry went to be with the Lord, I became involved in a discipleship with Donald. I try to text scripture to Donald every day. Donald says that I am his brother from another mother, but that we have the same Father. I know that if anything ever happened to me he’d be the first to be there for me. I am really thankful for our relationship.”
(Matt – left / Donald – right)
From Dad:
“Matthew was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck which starved his brain of oxygen and ultimately caused cerebral palsy. This left Matthew with both mental and physical disabilities.
Because of this, Matthew can be very uncomfortable in social situations however this is not the case with the Union Rescue Mission. Through the Ironman ministry Matt enters a comfort zone that he doesn’t seem to have any place else. Matthew’s like-minded brothers from another mother are there. His brothers surround him with high-fives, big smiles and a love that Matthew can understand. Let’s face it, all of us have “special needs”. As his dad, I can tell you that I have seen how Matthew’s special needs and the needs of his brothers have been provided for through this ministry. I can also tell you that hearing that Matthew text’s his discipleship partner Donald scripture every day is soul food for his dad. This tells me that getting Matthew and his brother Stephen involved in this ministry in their early teens was one of the best decisions I could have ever made.”
(Dad [Mike] – left / Matt – right)
If you’d like to find a way to get actively involved in volunteering with those who are experiencing homelessness please contact me and we’ll explore options that fit your context, skills and passions.
– Pastor Dan