OUR Life Matters

It all began with a simple conversation.  A pastor’s wife told me how God had provided the funds to repair one of their air conditioners at the church, but they couldn’t make contact with the A/C company who had given them the original bid.

I called a friend (Mr. D) in the business, who has a great heart for ministry and mission, and asked if he would take a look.  The next day he was there and got them fixed up for about ¼ of the quoted price.  While he was there, he noticed that the church had absolutely no insulation in their attic.  He called and left a message for another mutual friend (Mr. M) to see if they could figure out a way to help this church.  That friend couldn’t answer the call because he was in a meeting with a representative (Mr. G) from a world-wide ministry at their Dallas-area facility.  In that meeting, Mr. G mentioned that he was trying to figure out what to do with a large donation of … wait for it … insulation.

(Photo credit: Photobucket)

So, Mr. M leaves the meeting and checks his voice mail.  Bingo!  He turns around and walks back into Mr. G’s office and says, “Have I got a deal for you!”  About four phone calls later, we had a plan.

So, last Saturday morning, Mr. D, Mr. M, Mr. G, Mr. Me, and about a dozen other folks representing these various ministries showed up at the church with a trailer full of insulation and a brand new insulation blowing rig.  Twenty one bags of insulation later, accompanied by a lot of laughter and friendship, we sat down and had lunch together and celebrated how God had provided for this small church.  What a great example of Kingdom partnerships at work!

I have been vague about names and ministries for two reasons.  One is that I didn’t ask their permission to use their names or the names of their ministries.  The second is the most important reason.  I don’t want anyone but God to get the credit.  Each of these men, and their ministries, would agree.  There will certainly be more opportunities for us to work together in partnerships and some of them may become more public, but for now, I wanted to just make it about the story of how God often looks at you and me and sees us.

When I say that our lives matter to God, we tend to see that as our individual lives mattering.  And they do.  He does see our individual lives and needs.  But He also sees the intricate intersections that we can’t see and He sees the collective potential.  So, we can also say OUR life matters.

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.”

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Who is your one another?