When you're down but not out.

[NOONE7]

On 7/15/2017 at 8:05 AM, Steve_ said:

My mom used to say "There's people starving in Africa, eat your potatoes." It was hard for me to relate to, mainly because I lived in Millington. Michigan, not Africa. Besides, I was 8 years old and didn't really care what was going on it the world, just my little part of it.

Some people find me hard to relate to anymore, especially the last couple of years. Especially since I've been down about as far as I could go, without having the Lord call me home.

In the Spring of 2015, I started to have some problems with my left arm. I didn't think much of it because I was always having aches and pains. By that summer, I couldn't walk up steps anymore. And I grew weaker and weaker.  That fall, I went to the doctor and he put me on pain med. From then on. my wife became my primary care giver. We tried to find out what was wrong with me, but I had a terrible doctor.

Skip to 2016, summer. My wife left me and I could not take care of myself at all. So, I ended up in a nursing home in a wheelchair. Plus, I was now going through a divorce.  In October, I was finally diagnosed with a mild form of Parkinson's and was put on medication and extensive rehab.

Some people, especially in my church, make me feel a little like those starving Africans years ago. As I was indifferent to the struggles of the Africans, so people in my church are detached from my struggles. I'd had 3 people visit me, and no one calls me or my mom to find out how I'm doing. Why I don't know.

By the way, August 1st I'm being discharged from the nursing home. Everyone says I'm good enough to go home. And I now use a walker instead of the wheelchair.

 

Praying for you!

[Neighbor]

 Sorry Steve, I do object!  I state loud and clear. Nothing is wrong with Christians, nothing is wrong with the local body of Christ either!

  As testimony; I share that the church where I have been led by God has tended to my spiritual needs, my physical needs, and has given me opportunity to help others as well. It has been done  without fail for the fifteen years I  have been  at the local body of Christ I was led to by God.

 NOW it is  incumbent upon me to at least pick up the phone and share of my prayer needs with the church  in order to  have the elders know of what a need might be. Or call  the deacon in charge of whatever my need is at the time  I need help. I do have to be humble and not secretive  nor proud!

 Plus I MUST participate when the call for help by the church body  is rendered. I must contribute funding, and I must give physical time to such things as the widows day work projects, the staffing of regular help for widows, the funding of help for adopting parents, etc.

I have had opportunity to help widows,  This church body helps orphans and I must help fund it's needs.   This local body of Christ Jesus takes abundant care of it's own. It provides temporary  care when needed by the sick, it provides qualified counseling for the despondant, quidance for the young lovers  about to enter into marriage.  There is care, and there are very  caring hard working  volunteers and simply friends that  lift each other up.

That is the local body of my Lord that I know.

I praise God for all the people gathered under it's timbers. I thank God for delivering me to  the local body that has held so many saints together for so  many years.