Love Big

Often times I think we tend to forget just how fortunate we are to live here in America.  We get upset when traffic is backed up, when the grocery story is out of our favorite soda, when the movie is sold out, when we have to wait in line more than 15 minutes to get on a theme park ride.  But when we get sick, we can go to the drug store for medicine, we have easy access to doctors and hospitals, we have to decide what KIND of food we want for a meal, not whether we'll eat at all.  First World Problems, indeed.

Meanwhile, outside of our "bubble" there are people dealing with some really heavy, life-threatening stuff, like AIDS.  And not just one or two, but 33 million!  And you know, there is an amazing thing going on in some of their lives.  There are these caregivers....people who might be a friend, a neighbor, or even a complete stranger, who go into the homes of these sick, suffering people and take care of them.  Cleaning and bandaging their wounds, singing to them, praying with them, and just being there.  Do you remember the old phrase WWJD?  This is the answer, because this is exactly what Jesus would do.

Here's the thing, though.  These caregivers are poor too.  They don't have access to Walgreens or CVS, and even if they did they don't have the money to purchase everything they need.  No, they must rely on the kindness of strangers.  People they've never met, living on the other side of the world, who do have a little bit of extra time and money to gather the badly needed medical supplies together.  These caregivers rely....on us.

On Saturday, May 11, young adults from Elevation lead the Forest Lake Church family in an event we called "Pack the Kits."  After unloading several pallets of medical supplies on Friday afternoon, over 300 people came and put more than 750 first aid kits together.  Supplies like gauze pads, gloves, creams, soaps, ointments, even a flashlight and batteries, were packed into bright orange bags to be sent over to Swaziland, Africa (where World Vision said there was the greatest need right now).

But that's not all!  After putting a kit together, each person stopped and wrote a personal, encouraging note to the caregiver who would be receiving the little supply kit.  Prayers, blessings, and thanks for everything they are doing in Jesus' name, letting them know that people they've never met care about them.  And love them.  And appreciate them.

It's not much, giving a little extra money and a few short hours of time.  But even with just that simple gift, God takes it and uses it to touch the lives of so many people.  Why?  Because God doesn't love people just a little, God loves BIG!  Shouldn't we do the same?