Spectators and Participators

My wife and I recently moved from North Carolina to College Station Texas. We felt like it was a door that we were meant to go through. We started attending Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. This Sunday during service, the pastor’s wife told a story of a little boy named Daniel from Kenya. Daniel was abandoned as an infant. He was left in the garbage to die. He was not old enough to take care of himself. Dogs attacked Daniel and they ate off part of his face. He was found and taken to the center for abandoned children in Kenya. Daniel has a hard time eating, seeing and hearing. With the help of an American Doctor and Feed the Children Daniel has been brought to the states for reconstructive surgery to fix his face. Daniel is only four years old.

Pastor Osteen brought Daniel on stage and I stood crying as I looked at this precious little child who was left for dead. It was heart breaking to think that in this world there are children who have not even begun to live, abandoned and left for dead. While on stage, Daniel was full of life, talking, active and seemed as if nothing were wrong; this was a miracle to see after knowing the tragedy Daniel had experienced. To learn more about helping Daniel you can go to www.lakewood.cc then click on friends of Daniel.

While in North Carolina I had the privilege of working with an organization that helped those in need. I don’t think there is anything on this earth that can bring you the joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment as when you are helping others.

Luke chapter 10 tells of a man that was robbed, stripped of his clothing, and left half dead. There was a priest and a Levite that came by, at two different times, both passed leaving the man to die. Praise God for the Samaritan! He had compassion on the man, bandaged him then took him to an Inn. The Samaritan then paid for the stay and told the Innkeeper if any more money was due, he would pay it as well. Take a moment and examine your life…. are you like the priest and Levite or the Samaritan?

Your life appears to be great. You have a nice house, a car, a good job, money in the bank and take regular vacations. You go to church, yet your life seems empty. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. I wonder how many times we have passed by Jesus today! In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us that when we have done it “unto the least of these” we have ministered unto Him. Those you see in need are people just like you. They have feelings, emotions, and need to be accepted as we all do. The point of this writing is to make you examine your life. Stop; take a hard look at how things are going. Are you constantly consumed with making just one more dollar or keeping up with the neighbors? Is your energy spent on what pleases you?

In sports there are two kinds of people: spectators and participators. Why don’t you try to become a participator when it comes to helping others? Maybe you will find part of your purpose and the joy and satisfaction you seem to be missing.

Here are some suggestions: Take the family to your local soup kitchen, or ministry that reaches out to those in need, and volunteer a few hours a week, go on the next mission trip with your church group, or an organization that has mission trips available. Look for those in your own community that need a helping hand. You may say, “I can hardly make it myself, how can I help someone else”? It doesn’t take lots of money to help someone. Just taking the time to lend a hand and showing you care means the world to the person needing a hand. Remember God so loved the world that He was a participator. He did something. It’s time we got in the game.

If you are in the western North Carolina region please check out The Outreach Center in Morganton. It will amaze you to see what takes place there. If you are in another area…still visit their site to see what they are doing to help others- it will inspire you to do great things right where you are. www.theoutreachcenter.org