A Thought

“The tyrant dies, and his rule ends; the martyr dies, and his rule begins.”  Soren Kierkegaard

In the book, “Church for the Unchurched”, the author relates the story of a young woman who was active in her church’s ministry of care for the homebound.  One lady whom the woman was to care for was in her last days and needed a great deal of help.  The young woman called on this lady daily, prayed with her, sat with her, and did everything she could for her.  Soon the lady breathed her last, and the young woman was stunned since she had grown to love this lady.

After much prayer and reflection in her mourning, she drew a conclusion she had to share with her church’s pastor in a letter.  In part the caregiver had discovered that as much as she had given to the dying lady, it was not merely the deceased she had grown to love (though she had).  Rather it was the life she found as she had given herself so completely to the care and ministry of this lady whose needs were so great.  She remembered in her thoughts and reflections Jesus’ own words: “Whoever seeks to save his life will lost it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Luke 17:33 NKJV).

As much as we may try to hold and preserve for ourselves, we will lose at least that much and perhaps more.  Yet as Jesus teaches (and the young woman of the story discovered), she had not really been living until she was giving herself completely to one who was once a virtual stranger.  She would miss the lady, of course, but even as she mourned a part of her own life that was over, she had found the fullness of life in her selflessly giving of herself.

May we trust that Jesus really does know what He’s talking about!

Blessings,

Michael