“We honestly still can’t believe all that you young folks do for us old folks. You spend your time coming and caring for us in different ways. You read the Bible to us and explain it. Nobody else even pays attention to us. Nobody else asks how we are doing - but you take time out of your days and come to spend it with us. You don’t even know us, and we didn’t do anything to deserve it. I’d bow to the ground to you if I could...”, said the elderly lady with tears in her eyes. 

“Definitely no need to bow down to us”, we all thought, but didn’t have the chance to say because the lady went on and on about how her life had filled with purpose and hope once we’d appeared in their city. It was encouraging to hear, really. Quite taken aback, the five of us sat and listened to how her life had truly changed. We had no idea that God was using our families’ ministry in this way - and were deeply grateful to hear this testimony.

It occurred to me then that it really wasn’t me. If I weren’t a child of God, I doubt that I’d have any desire to spend my weekends ministering to forgotten elderly couples. I doubt that I’d spend hours upon hours preparing the building where my husband would be preaching the Word. I doubt that I’d be looking for new recipes of simple pies to bake so that the poor people who rarely eat sweets could enjoy some after Sunday worship. Truly, only God could stir in me a desire to give something up from my life. Only God could train my heart to be sensitive to the needs of others. Only God - because He did it first. He loved me when I was still a wretched sinner. He stopped me when I was rebelling and walking in pretense. He sent His son as a sacrifice for my sins. He extended His grace when I did nothing to deserve it. 

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 

So, having come to know Him, how can I withhold that which doesn’t belong to me, anyway? :)