Key Bible Verse: Take tender care of those who are weak (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Bonus Reading: Mark 8:34-35

One summer, Johnny was serving among the poor in Los Angeles during our six-week urban project. Part of his assignment was to spend time in a smelly, understaffed, and poorly kept convalescent home. Few residents had visitors. Some were mentally ill or unresponsive. Others were even hostile. Members of Johnny's team were struggling with why they'd been called to serve there. They began to openly voice remarks such as, "This is depressing," and, "We can't do anything to help."

One day, after Johnny had been there about a week, an elderly woman slowly walked up to him in the hallway. She pointed a finger at him. "I know why you're here," she said in an accusatory tone. She paused as my friend looked at her, wondering what this was about. "You're here," she continued, "because God wants us to know he hasn't forgotten about us."

Johnny was stunned. At that moment, the person who turned and shuffled away was not a delirious old woman, but a prophet who sensed the work of God more profoundly than anyone on his team. She had received the incarnate love of God in the team that visited her that summer. It was a beautiful moment, one that Johnny will never forget.

—Kevin Blue in Practical Justice

My Response: What segments of our society are most easily overlooked? Are they visible to me?

Adapted from Practical Justice (InterVarsity, 2006) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

You said, Lord, that as we serve those in need we encounter you. Allow me to experience your presence as I represent you.

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