James 1:27
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Her name is Lucille. She is a 93-year-old African American woman with gray hair bundled under a head scarf. Her eyes are yellowing and look worn. Her smile displays her many years as it showcases the empty places where teeth once existed. She must depend on a cane to walk, and even with the sturdy cane her gate is unsteady. Her heart is overflowing with thanks. She loves the Lord and she loves everyone around her. I know this because as I sang hymns about seeing Jesus, she sang along with a spirit longing for Heaven.
The greatest gift Lucille gave me that day was the gift of loving and serving her. I came face to face with Jesus. It's amazing to me that I don't do this more often. It's the Bible come to life in its purest form. And Lucille, she thought the world of me. She could not stop telling me how much she loved me and how kind I was. She told everyone we ran into that I was her new friend....someone who was willing to be kind to a stranger.
Her words still give me pause. Why was she so amazed at my actions? Wouldn't anyone who loves Jesus pick up an elderly woman struggling to walk down the road in 90 degree weather? How many Bible verses do we need to learn before these kinds of actions become commonplace for those of us who claim to follow Christ? I'm thinking about that. I hope you do as well. Imagine the difference we could truly make in the world if we weren't too busy for "the least of these"?
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