It’s Broken
When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen..”
BLOG: My heart sank. The news was bad. Betty’s leg was broken. Just an hour before she fell off the platform (6”) and twisted her right foot, overcorrected her left foot to compensate and “snap”! She heard it. In all of the pain and adrenaline, she didn’t notice. I had to go to a wedding rehearsal, and her friend took her home. On the way there, she texted me, “I think I better get an x-ray.” Forty-five minutes later, “It’s broke.”
There are going to be weeks of crutches, hobbling around, and being frustrated. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy on anyone, especially her.
Then this happened. Acts 2:44-45 “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
Few people get this verse. Some have even gone as far as to say that this is Christian Communism. (Insert chuckle here.) Jerusalem was a city in desperate need. The poor, hungry, orphaned, and widowed overwhelmed its streets. Then add to that the 3,000 converts who probably stayed on to discover what their newfound faith was about (see earlier in the chapter), and you’re suddenly surrounded by people in need.
But in the image of Jesus, His followers did what He would do. Meet the need with what they had.
Crutches are NOT working out for Betty. She fell once and almost a second time, but I caught her. So someone found her a knee scooter for her to use. PRAISE GOD! She couldn’t sing on the platform this Sunday, but someone filled in for her at the last minute. PRAISE GOD! She couldn’t take Anneka to the dance studio for a meeting. Someone else stepped up to the late. PRAISE GOD! Someone at the wedding said, “If she needs physical therapy, let me know. I’m a therapist.” PRAISE GOD!
This is what Luke was described in Acts 2. See and need and fill it.
Count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings, and see what God has done.
PRAY: Dear Jesus, help me to count my blessings. AMEN.
PS. Please pray for one of our regular readers, Pastor Randy Brummitt's wife Susie, in prayer. She is in the hospital with chest pains.
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