Sometimes the busyness of ministry can really take your eyes off of why we do what we do. I just got this email and thought I would pass it along. You never know when your smile impacts the next person through the door, or when the next cup of coffee that you serve changes a life, or when you upload that podcast that reconnects someone on their journey for God.
“My brother, has especially struggled the most with Mom’s death. He has distanced himself from Jesus, faith and church. He watched the videos of Christmas Kitchen over and over and said it was great that so many members of our church wanted to help those less fortunate on Christmas Eve. I encouraged him to download podcasts of past sermons onto his ipod and listen to what our church was all about. He said, he wasn’t sure if he could really fit Jesus and “the whole church thing” into his life right now. He said, “he just wasn’t buying what people were trying to sell in the pulpit anymore, it all felt like lies” I gave him a copy of the “Stuck” series and told him to at least try to download some of the podcasts. Well, he just called me today and said, “So did you get the $20.00 a few Sundays ago, or did you bake cookies for someone?” I almost broke out in tears, but I knew if I did, that would completely freak him out..LOL He said he could absolutely feel Jeff’s passion for Jesus in his sermons, and that wasn’t something he had heard from a pastor in a long time. Passion in any form, left his life a long time ago. (He also said, “Your minister sure loves coffee doesn’t he? You need to send him some from Hana.” BTW–one of my brother’s lives in Maui and the coffee from Hana is some of the best in the world) Anyway, he is driving his son up to Pittsburgh tomorrow to go back to college. He said he is downloading all the series to listen to on the way there and back.
I just want to say thanks, and isn’t it amazing how a single kind act goes deeper than the initial act itself.”
Never lose sight of why we do what we do!