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WRITE 2 THE HEART
Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart"
June 10, 2004
Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com.
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You never know when or where you will meet a fellow brother
in Christ. Barbara and her husband thought they were help two
individuals who were in need of a job. When they found out why
the job was needed, they were humbled and overjoyed.
Tender Mercies
By Barbara Deming
"Let's look for someone who really needs work to help us load
the truck."
I don't know whether it was my husband or I who first thought
of this but we were in agreement. In a month we would be loading
our belongings into a rental truck and moving from Bakersfield in
central California south to San Diego County. Healthy and
energetic at 72, my husband had taken some convincing that he
needed others to do the lifting and loading, but when he finally
agreed, the search was on-in a rush.
There was no unemployed to be found in our church. A pastor
neighbor said the same about his congregation. A local church that
worked with former gang members and drug addicts had found
positions for all of their members. But they were the ones who
suggested we try the homeless shelter down the street. We weren't
so sure this was the right way to go but we had prayed about the
situation, and this seemed to be our only answer.
We discussed our needs with the director - two men on a
specific date, men who had a special need for this money, and ones
who were willing to do the job. Feeling in our hearts that such
men would be a worthy cause, we promised to pay more than the
standard hourly rate for the right helpers.
Two small Mexican-Indians, Jesus and Luis, were ready when
Ray arrived at the shelter on the appointed day. He drove them to
the house where the truck sat on the driveway waiting to be filled.
The men checked out the rooms of furniture then returned to the
garage filled with boxes. Both came to a halt in front of us.
Uh-oh. They've decided this is too much for them. Lord, what
are we going to do?
Jesus, who spoke more English than Luis, and seemed to be the
leader, was the one who asked, "May we all pray together before
we begin our work?"
With both relief and joy, we listened as in bits of English and
Spanish the two men offered thanks for the day of work and asked
for His protection as they labored.
The morning hours proved these men had definitely done this
kind of work before. Knowing exactly how to load that truck was
a blessing as we had quite an accumulation after twenty years of
marriage. And as the hours ticked by we became aware of
something we hadn't quite expected. God had sent these two men
to us.
Sharing lunch after the food was blessed, Jesus explained why
they were in the homeless shelter. They both proudly showed their
green cards which had made it possible for them to enter the
country for work in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley in
California. In between crops, they sought other jobs to assist in
reaching their goal, set long before they crossed the border.
Jesus was a lay minister. He and Luis had left their families
behind in a small village outside Vera Cruz to come to the U.S. on
a mission. They were here working for money to build a church.
It was late that afternoon before the truck was filled with our
worldly goods. As my husband prepared to drive them back to the
shelter, the men asked that we form a circle. Holding hands with
each other, these humble men asked God to look over us as we
traveled, to bless our new home, and to touch our lives. And as we
stood there we felt the warmth of God's love truly surround us.
Materially, we had so much. They had so little when it came to
counting possessions. But these men were wealthier than many.
For they had the richness of God as a part of their daily lives,
guiding them along a path He had set them on, giving them the
authority to touch the people around them with the gentle but all-
consuming love the Lord asks us all to pass on. Just seeing their
faith in action brought stinging tears to our eyes.
On that moving day we were gifted with an understanding, a
newfound love in our hearts for our Lord. We were the ones who
had been shown that happiness couldn't be found in material
possessions. Nor with money paid by the hour. The Holy Spirit
came to us in the form of two small men, appearing far more
Godly than most by acts of unwavering faith as they sought to live
their humble lives the Lord's way.
Barbara Deming
tejasbabs @ aol.com
Barbara Deming writes and volunteers at her church and the
local Senior Center in San Marcos, CA. Her book, "The Quilt
Maker," ISBN 1-59109-490-9 can be found at Amazon.com or
from the author at tejasbabs @ aol.com. She is currently seeking a
publisher for a novel "Aunt Lutie's Cafe" and a short-story
collection, "Pink Poodle Pie (and Other Tales of Revenge).
You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know
what you think of their story. Have a comment on today's story?
Send it to: moderator@write2theheart.com.
Letters From Our Readers
Dear Cheryl:
"One Thousand Extra Days" by Philip Jones, excerpted from
his book "How to Fit a Heart Attack into Your Busy Schedule!
Humor, Wit and Wisdom For a Healthier Heart," is one of the most
touching essays I've read about not taking family, friends, nor self's
life for granted. Life is short, and any "extra days" to be with
family and friends, to see the sun set or rise, or to recollect
cherished memories, well, they are all blessed days indeed. May
Philip Jones continue to count those special "extra days" for a very
long time.
Warmest regards,
Patricia Spork
www.patriciaspork.us
Military Prayer Reminder
As you read over this list of names, please take a moment to
pray for these young people and their families:
Chris Speir
Tim Speir
Alan
Todd Holland
Graham
William
Julie Sagel
Jessie
Marshal Thompson
Jason
Eric Hernandez
Kristin Danielson
Ken Prieur
Ryan
Larry Miele
Daniel
Amy
John
Joanne
Gary Boardwine
Josh
Hadassah
Chanz Wackerly
Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and
our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military,
or who are being called to go overseas, send their names
(first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer
reminder.
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Cheryl’s Corner
We now have a running joke in our family. I realized one day
that both of my daughter-in-laws maidens name begins with a L.
My daughter-in-law-to-be’s last name begins with L. I won’t tell
you how long it took me to notice!
Now every time Jeremy talks about a new girl he is dating, I
ask, “What is her last name?” He laughs and ignores me. He
brought home a young lady and introduced us to her. So, of course
when we were alone I asked the question.
He answered me with, “Her middle name begins with L, does
that count?”
God bless you
Cheryl
Copyright © 2004, Write 2 the Heart
Nothing may be reproduced or published without
the written permission of the individual author or
copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors.
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