Do you ever think about Jesus words in the Gospel when he says, the poor will be with you always, but I will only be with you for a short time?  Then in Matthew he says, Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!  I am haunted by images of the poor!  I dream many nights of children covered in dirt, reaching out their hands for help, and there is no one there to grab their hands.  I see men, covered in sweat, killing themselves by working without stopping, only to be given a mere penny to provide for their families.  I see women, desperately longing for their children and husbands to spend time together in a safe place, covered in love!

I am so thankful for the love of Christ in my heart, and I am even more thankful for the burden He has given me to daily be his Hands and Feet to the least of these in this dying world.  Thank you all for being a part of this life long mission.  Yes the poor will always be with us, but I thank God for allowing us to serve Him and make a difference in the lives of those without hope.  To be a light for those surrounded by darkness.  To show love to those that are labeled by the world, Un-loveable!

It was a beautiful sunset tonight on the Rez!  We serve a mighty God!

Michelle and I have just left the visitation service for Sarah Williams.  She died from cancer on Thursday after fighting against Neuroblastomoa for 5 years.  Her father, Bob has been to Mexico several times. The family is one of Tex and Marissa’s supporters.  They are part of our family!  Sarah had so many “cheerleaders” in our community.  Our cars all had “Pray for Sarah” ribbons on them.

Sarah was adopted from an orphanage in Russia.  Sarah herself was responsible for “adopting” many dogs from the animal shelter in Gordon County.

As I watched the line of hundreds of people sharing their memories and love with the family, I started thinking about the impact that little girl made on the world during her life.  Paul talked about the kind of people God uses in first Corinthians 1:26-31.  He said that  “God does not choose those who are noble, mighty, or wise according to the worlds standards”.  Rather, He often chooses the weak of the world to use in order that His strength and glory might be seen more clearly.  Instead of starting with the finished product, God chooses the raw resources of humanity and shapes and molds them into those who are wise and strong.

Why does he do this?  Paul gave two reasons.  The first, so that “no flesh should glory in His presence” (verse 29).  When we stand before God it will be obvious that we have accomplished nothing in our own strength.  If we have accomplished anything for God at all, it will only be by His strength.  He will receive all the glory, which is the second reason: “…that…’He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (verse 31).

Sarah knew who she was it Christ, she also knew that she was supposed to touch everyone she saw and tell them how good God is!  She will forever be remembered as a fighter with a lot of spunk and attitude.  We need to learn from her about being bold for our savior, no matter what the consequence.  God used a little girl with a horrible disease to tell the world how good He is!  She was not prepared or trained to be His witness, she just let God use her to the fullest, and she changed the world for Christ!

I can tell you with confidence that you do not have to reach a certain level of sophistication or preparation before God uses you. The only hope any of us have of being used by God is the knowledge that we can do nothing for his glory in and of ourselves anyway.  If we are to accomplish anything it will be in spite of who we are, not because of it.