Devotion

I was thinking today that this is my 11th mission trip outside of the Atlanta area. 11 weeks of my life at 62 years of age I have spent in mission away from Home. I do other things in the ATL but away from home 11 weeks. 11 weeks out of 2,300 weeks of my adult life. That is from 18 to 62. 44 years of weeks. 11 out of 2300.

Mother Theresa spent her entire adult life ministering to the least of these in India. 3640 weeks in mission ministering to the dying and destitute of Calcutta.

At one time she said:

"The other day I dreamed that I was at the gates of heaven. And St. Peter said, 'Go back to Earth, there are no slums up here.'" - Mother Teresa was quoted as telling Prince Michael of Greece in 1996.

Her total focus was on those she served and ow they could be served better. She knew her job was to bring the Kingdom of God to those she served. That’s why St Peter sent her back!

In the text I read we see Jesus healing a paraplegic. Let’s not talk about the healing, let’s talk about the paraplegic. because its not about the healing its about the paraplegic.

He had no friends or family. He said I have no one to put me in the pool. The man most likely crawled from place to place since he had no one. Being a paraplegic he most likely would have had no control over his bowels or bladder. Hygiene would have been a challenge. His hands would have been torn and cut. His suffering and isolation would have been beyond measure. Jesus entire focus was about the man. He just asked if he wanted to be healed and Jesus instantly healed the man. Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to the Man, since the man had no one to get to the Kingdom. Jesus gave him heaven on earth.

You know neediness sometimes looks overwhelming. When we are on some of our projects we see so much more that can be done. It is exactly that kind of neediness that Jesus came into, Mother Teresa too.

Have we focused on those we are serving or have we served our projects instead.? Sometimes we get hung up in the service rather than serving.

Mother Theresa said, “Let the poor eat you up”

Are you letting those your serving eat you up or are you letting you project eat you up?