Christian Service

Athletes will tell you that working out is not the most important part of training. Recovery is the number one cause of athletic injuries is the lack of recovery time between training sessions.

Let me repeat this because it’s so counterintuitive—recovery is more important to athletic performance than training is. Your body needs to rest and repair between periods of exertion. By not letting each of the muscle groups rest, a person will reduce their ability to repair. Insufficient rest also slows fitness progression and increases the risk of injury.

Possible Preaching Angle:

This a physical expression of a reality that applies to your heart and soul in serving Christ as well. We could probably predict who’s going to burn out and who’s not by looking at their recovery practices. But most people don’t take their recovery seriously. They’re simply shocked and heartbroken when their soul suddenly gives out. How will you build recovery into your life? What’s your plan?

Research suggests that when we make acts of kindness a habit, it's also good for our health. Whether it's volunteering at a local food bank, or taking soup to a sick neighbor, there's lots of evidence that when we help others, it can boost our own happiness and psychological well-being. But there's also growing research that it boosts our physical health too, says Tara Gruenewald, a psychologist at Chapman University.

Perhaps the most striking evidence comes from the Baltimore Experience Corps trial, a large experiment in which adults age 60 and older were randomly assigned to either volunteer at elementary schools or be put on a waiting list. The volunteers spent at least 15 hours a week tutoring underprivileged kids. After two years, the researchers found that the volunteers had measurable changes in their brain health.

One of the researchers said, "They didn't experience declines in memory and executive function like we saw in our control participants. And there were even changes in brain volume in areas of the brain that support these different cognitive processes.” Volunteers were also more physically active, "which is important for maintaining both cognitive and physical health as folks age.”

Another researcher added, "Volunteering or doing an act of kindness can distract you from some of the problems that you might be having, so you might be a little bit less reactive yourself. And "it may help to give you more perspective on what your own problems are." Also, when you go out to help others, it also makes you more physically active and less lonely. Social isolation is a known risk factor for physical and mental health problems, especially as we age.

At the very least, volunteering will make the world a little bit better place for many others. And we might just make it a little bit better for ourselves.

Legendary West Indian fast bowler Sir Wesley Hall was a strongly-built, larger than life cricketer who played international cricket between 1958 to 1969. His long run-up, fearsome pace bowling, outstanding personality, and exploits on the field, made him one of the most-loved sportsmen to emerge from the Caribbean. In 48 international test matches, Hall took 192 wickets at an average 26.38 runs per wicket.

Wesley Hall became an unforgettable part of cricket folklore having bowled the final nail-biting over in the first ever tied test match in the history of cricket between Australia and the West Indies in 1960. The last Australian wicket fell in the last over of the match with them needing one run to win. Thus, the scores of both teams finished the same (tied). It was a historic moment in the game of cricket

After retiring from the game he loved, Hall served in politics and as an Administrator for West Indies Cricket. He was knighted in 2012.

Wesley Hall's life was dramatically transformed, however, after attending a Christian meeting in 1988 on a trip to Florida. He gave his heart to the Lord that day and eventually answered the call to serve God. After attending Bible college, Hall was later ordained in the Pentecostal Church. He has been a much-loved preacher thereafter at Christian gatherings and at funerals-specifically those of West Indian cricketers.

Possible Preaching Angle:

At his trial before King Agrippa, the Apostle Paul, remembering the call of Jesus on the road to Damascus, said, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven” (Acts 26:19). Similarly, when God's call came to the prophet Isaiah, he responded, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8). God places His call on different people in different places. Sir Wesley Hall answered the call of God to serve Him. What about us?

Keisha House is a nurse practitioner and assistant director of the Substance Use Disorder Center of Excellence at Rush University Medical Center. House spent an afternoon training a bunch of aspiring professionals in the skills of preventing death from opioid overdose. These included recognizing signs of substance abuse and administering doses of Naloxone, the generic name for Narcan, an agent that can reverse the effects of an overdose.

These would be absolutely essential skills for any healthcare professional to learn, but House’s clients that day were not nurses or doctors. Rather, they were a group of barbers.

“You all are our eyes and ears, in the barbershop,” House told her audience at Larry’s Barber College in the Washington Park neighborhood of Chicago. House stressed to them that their relationship with local clientele made them invaluable partners in the ongoing quest to reduce and eventually eliminate drug overdoses within the black community.

House stressed the importance of learning the visual signs of overdose, because they’re not always consistent with the ways that such overdoses are portrayed in media. Symptoms can include unresponsiveness, constricted pupils, a limp body, and breathing that slows or stops. In 2018, studies showed that opioid overdoses happened all over the city, but the most deaths were clustered in the mostly black and brown neighborhoods.

Health improvement advocates say that Rush’s outreach to barbershops and beauty shops was influenced by a 2017 Illinois law requiring hair stylists, barbers, and cosmetologists to receive domestic violence and sexual assault awareness training. “In the beauty shop, barber shop, it’s a safe haven,” House said. “If we increase the knowledge, the training, the awareness … we’re able to promote positive health behaviors among their customers, where they feel safe.”

Laniah Davis was one of the barber students given free Narcan kits after the day’s presentation, and she’s feeling confident.

David said, “Now that we know this information, we’re able to save a life or two. If it was somebody in my family, I would want someone to help them. So, whether I know them or not … I would see myself jumping into action to do whatever it takes.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Just as these barbers were given authority to administer life-saving medicine, so are we authorized to act swiftly and boldly to rescue our neighbors from danger and to show God’s love in real-life situations.

The biggest concern for Dr. Steve Lome before starting the Monterey Bay Half Marathon along the California coast was being able to keep up with his teenage kids beside him. But the cardiologist would soon face a life-or-death situation around mile three of the 13.1 mile race.

Lome said, "Somebody right in front of me collapsed. I saw him go down and it was pretty clear to me that it was not just somebody who tripped and fell or somebody who fainted. It was a very sudden collapse."

The man on the ground was 67-year-old Gregory Gonzales, a Washington state Superior Court judge. Gonzales said he felt fine even in the moments right before. He'd trained for the race and was so at ease that day, his only worry was nabbing a good parking spot. Gonzales said, "I thought to myself, 'Oh my gosh, it's downhill for a little bit, great!' That's all I remember."

Lome says Gonzales hit his head on the pavement when he fell. Lome rushed over and started CPR with the help of a few passersby. Lome said, “The biggest concern is that, having no blood flow to the brain, you can get some permanent brain injury. That's what we want to avoid at all costs.” He estimates they were doing chest compressions for maybe six minutes when Gonzales was defibrillated and taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Once the ambulance left, Lome was a little rattled but decided to continue the race. He had lost about 15 minutes and could make some of it back, even if his kids were farther ahead by now. He got on his cellphone, alternating between running and walking, just to make sure the hospital where Gonzales was headed knew what had taken place at the scene. He says that can make a difference to a patient's care. He eventually made it past the finish line and threw his hands up in the air to celebrate the accomplishment.

Lome and Gonzales are keeping in touch and plan to race together at the same half-marathon next year. Gonzales said, “There's not a day that goes by that I don't have tears of joy. Absolute joy. I'm here with a second chance at this life.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

As believers running the race of life, we are surrounded by people experiencing spiritual life-threatening issues. Do we care enough to stop what we are doing and offer life-giving help from the scriptures to them?

Editor’s Note: In the full-length version of this event, Dr. Lome actually saved two runners who suffered cardiac events. The other happened at the end of the race after Dr. Lome had crossed the finish line.

Some come with track marks from years of drug abuse. Others come with children in tow. Some are struggling through a bad week. Others, a bad decade. All bring their dirty laundry. They wash it and dry it for free at church-run laundry services throughout the United States. “Christ said we should feed the hungry and clothe the naked, and I think those clothes should be clean,” said Catherine Ambos, a volunteer at one such ministry in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Churches have been washing clothes across the US since at least 1997, when a minister at First United Methodist Church of Arlington, Texas, started doing a circuit around the city’s coin-operated laundries, passing out change. There may well have been others before this. Today, these ministries exist across the country, run by churches of all traditions and sizes.

Belmont Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, has one of the older laundromat ministries still running. The church started helping people clean their clothes in 2010, when pastor Greg Anderson heard through another ministry that poor people in homeless shelters and long-term-stay motels would regularly throw away their clothes.

Anderson said, “It was just easier to go and get new clothes at a clothing-center type of ministry as opposed to being able to launder them.” The church decided to install five washers and dryers in a building on its property and open a laundromat. Today, volunteers estimate that they save people upwards of $25,000 per year. This is money they didn’t have, or if they did, they could now spend on food, gas, or medicine.

19.25 million US households are without a washing machine.

38% of US households earn less than $50,000 per year.

Sarah Pulley knows what moms are going through when their babies are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Riley Children’s Hospital. She knows because she’s been there herself. Sarah said, “When Amelia contracted a virus, she was transferred to Riley Children’s Health. We’re very familiar with those walls.”

As a way of giving back, she began volunteering at the hospital, and was excited when she heard that one of the charities was interested in providing pampering opportunities for moms with babies in the NICU. Since she runs her own hair salon, she was able to donate one of her salon chairs and use her contacts to arrange for the donation of hair products worth hundreds of dollars.

Now, using her hair styling skills, she offers free hair and scalp treatments to moms at the “Beauty Bar” of the Ronald McDonald Family Room Maternity Tower at the hospital. She said, “We shampoo, blow dry and give scalp massages on the second Wednesday of each month. You completely lose all sense of yourself when you have a baby in the NICU. My first mom completely relaxed in the chair; she just closed her eyes and breathed. My second was completely exhausted.”

Pulley wants the moms who sit in her chair to receive an infusion of joy and hope. “I want them to know, ‘you got this.’ There is hope in my story because my daughter is thriving. We made it.”

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We demonstrate the love of Jesus when we care for strangers who are in distress.

A brave woman may have saved hundreds of lives in India by waving her red sari to stop a train—after spotting broken tracks further down the line. Omvati Devi waved the flowing red garment in front of an approaching train after noticing part of the line was faulty. Spotting the woman, the driver was able to stop the train just in the nick of time, avoiding potential disaster.

Omvati’s quick-thinking benefitted between 150 to 200 passengers aboard the train in Uttar Pradesh, India. The woman, who’s been praised for her heroic actions, was quoted saying:

I was on my way to work and it was then when I stumbled to found a broken track. I was quick to realize that this could result in a massive tragedy. Well, I had heard a lot that red stands for danger. I used my sari to tie it around the track to thwart any untoward incident which luckily did work when the driver applied brakes.

The driver offered her 100 rupees, but she turned it down. “Then, he insisted that I keep the money, which I did.”

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In the spiritual realm, Christians are called by God to wave a warning flag to rescue those who are perishing (Jude 1:23) before it is too late.

In June of 1992, Gloria Davey and a few friends were walking in the English countryside. When they stopped for a rest, they discovered a ruined church (from the bombings of World War I). The church had been desecrated by satanic symbols. When she told her husband Bob, a church leader at another nearby church, he was horrified at what he saw. That moment, the recently retired Bob made a decision that would dominate his life for the next 22 years. He would restore St Mary’s Church.

He said, “You couldn’t see the tower, and there was no roof, windows or floor — nothing, really. But I felt it was my duty to save it. This annoyed me intensely. I've been a Christian all my life and wasn't putting up with this on my watch.” He walked inside—the door was long gone—and that afternoon started clearing out 60 years’ worth of rubbish. For 22 years he was at the site early every day “except on days of family christenings and weddings,” says Bob, who has four children, six grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

He added, “I haven’t had a holiday in 22 years, but I haven’t wanted one. Who wants to retire? My advice to others: don’t play golf or buy a Spanish villa when you retire. Find yourself a ruined church to save!” Bob hasn’t just saved the church. He also uncovered a unique set of wall paintings, the earliest in Britain and some of the finest in Europe.

Bob faced stiff resistance. The satanists sent him a message: “If you continue to come here, I’ll kill you.” Bob said he wasn’t frightened. “I’ll come in an electric trolley if I have to.” And until his death in 2021 at the age of 91, that’s exactly what Bob Davey did.

Gillian Murphy is director of the Elting Memorial Library, and she’s proud of the impact it’s having on her community. She said, “It used to be all the information people needed was in books. Some people couldn’t afford books, and that’s why libraries came about. Now, information is online. Libraries have morphed.”

The transformation of which she speaks is a movement that’s catching in libraries across the country. More and more of them are being identified under the catch-all label “Library of Things.” These are places that feature more than books to check out, but also specialty household items like board games, appliances, or yard tools. Murphy said, “Something you’d borrow from your neighbor.”

As of this writing, a brief Google search for “library of things” reveals hits for similar collections in places like Berks County, Pennsylvania, Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Sacramento, California. But according to Murphy, the key to a successful library of things is the same as it is for any library--it must be reflective of the community’s needs and interests.

That said, Murphy is gratified at seeing the library continue to be a hub of community interest, where people can not only borrow useful items and not have to buy them, but also gather for events and socialize. She says the library of things has driven more people to sign up for library cards. Librarian Stephanie Harrison concurs, “A library card is the most valuable card in your wallet.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Part of being in the family of God is cultivating a heart of generosity to help meet the needs of everyone in the community.

In an article by Heather Havrilesky entitled, “Let Your Kids Be Bad at Things,” she ponders on the importance of beautifully terrible children’s recitals.

Parents want their children to succeed, to be good at something they enjoy. But this otherwise noble aim is precisely what leads to an overbearing parent who ruins the fun. This is something Havrilesky learned when her child signed up for a school talent show. She wanted perfection from her daughter, but it was precisely her imperfections that made the talent show so perfect:

On the night of the talent show, I wasn’t thinking about magic. I was bracing myself, as the curtains parted. I felt like a jerk for leading my poor lambs to the slaughter of public humiliation.

But as the first wobbly-voiced performer fumbled with her microphone, a different sort of magic slowly took over. I could see that these were charming flaws I was witnessing — irreplaceable, once-in-a-lifetime sorts of flaws: the distorted microphone squeals in the midst of a breathy Les Misérables ballad, the horn players with their strange alternative Star Wars rhythm. It was actually the non-greatness that made each kid’s performance so memorable and unique.

When my daughter and her friends took to the stage, I could see that was part of what made them so engrossing. These were the details that could break your heart: The girl who is always off beat. The girl who smiles but never sings. The girl who sings but never smiles. The girl who moves in the opposite direction from everyone else, no matter how many times you correct her.

Together, they form a kind of ragged, vulnerable tribute to being 9-years-old, awkwardly poised between very young and too old too soon. Together, they represent how it feels when you’re trying to choose between caring too little and caring too much. I was trying to stay aloof, but tears started pouring out of my eyes and wouldn’t stop. It was a beautifully terrible recital.

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This must certainly echo something of what God feels as he values our imperfect service. He knows we are not perfect, yet we are loved. And it is our imperfections that cause us to lean on him for his strength and results (2 Cor. 12:7-9).

When Sophia Furtado approached her delivery location, she expected to simply deliver a pizza. Instead, she delivered a second chance at life. That’s because Furtado’s customer, Caryn Hebert Sullivan, was sprawled on the driveway in front of her home, showing extensive bleeding from a head wound.

That’s when Furtado bolted into action, running into the house and screaming for help. The commotion quickly awoke Caryn’s husband Robert, who immediately came downstairs to call 911 and help assist. Furtado said, “It happened so fast. I was freaking out because I didn’t know how much longer she had.”

Having been previously trained as an EMT, Furtado calmly relayed the important details to the 911 dispatcher, and instructed Robert to retrieve gauze and a towel to stop the bleeding, and a blanket to keep Hebert Sullivan warm. She also stabilized Hebert Sullivan’s neck to prevent a potential spinal injury.

Law enforcement personnel who responded to the scene lauded Furtado’s quick thinking and action. Police officer Jillian Jodoin said, “What Sophia did that night is not something anyone would just do. We have seen people walk away, run away, drive away, pull out their phone, or simply watch. Sophia sprang into action, alerted Robert, activated the emergency response system, rendered aid, and helped officers streamline information gathering. She saved a life.”

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Being a disciple of Christ means maintaining a readiness to act in accordance to the Spirit's will to help others in need.

When Instacart delivery driver Jessica Higgs made her delivery drop, she paid attention--not just to her surroundings, but also her instincts. Higgs had taken the order from a woman who was buying groceries for her dad. The order instructions were to drop the order on the porch, but in Jessica’s words, “something was telling me, ‘No, you gotta help this man out.’” You can see the emotion on her face in the TikTok video she recorded about the experience.

Once the man came to the door, Higgs ignored the regular Instacart delivery protocol and brought the groceries into the house. Once inside, she made mental note of a propane tank, saw that the man seemed somewhat sickly, and also noticed a peculiar smell. “I was in there maybe five feet and I got dizzy. And I said there’s got to be a leak … that’s when I realized the smell had to have been coming from the propane.”

After concluding her visit, Higgs used the Instacart messaging feature to alert the daughter to the potential danger she suspected--the father was becoming sick from a leak in the propane tank. The daughter sent her younger son to check on her dad, and confirmed that the danger was real, and had the tank removed.

For her quick, compassionate action Higgs received not only a $100 tip from her customer, but kudos from several of the three million users who watched her video on TikTok. Instacart released their own statement of gratitude, including the following:

We are constantly inspired by the incredible people who choose to be Instacart shoppers and intentionally make a positive impact in the lives of others. This story touched our hearts and we are grateful for shoppers like Jessica.

Possible Preaching Angle:

When we go above and beyond the regular scope of our duties in order to act to preserve a life, we honor the dignity and value of living beings made in God's image

When Tyler Moon lined up for a 10-mile race, he decided to write an inspiring message where other runners normally placed their name. So, he printed the words "Jesus Saves" on his bib. As he approached mile eight, the otherwise healthy 25-year-old collapsed. He had suffered a heart attack. His heart stopped pumping blood for approximately 10 seconds after he experienced an irregularly fast heartbeat. The odds of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are very low.

But fortunately, Moon had someone right behind him who could help. A certified registered nurse anesthetist was hot on his heals. And when Moon collapsed, he rushed over, accessed the situation, and began CPR. Several other runners stopped to assist till paramedics arrived.

Ironically, the name of the runner who saved Moon's life was Jesus Bueno. “We all worked together,” Bueno said, explaining that a large group of people stopped running to help Moon. “It went pretty darn smooth, in the scheme of things.”

Moon later shared on the Today show:

The fact that God placed all these wonderful, incredible human beings right behind me; it’s amazing to think of them and what they’ve done for me. I hope that people are encouraged to take that CPR class, to help a stranger, to help someone in need. That’s the big message I really want to get across.

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Jesus does save, but he involves regular people like you and me. Those who bear his name "to help a stranger, to help someone in need."

The pandemic has forced some locally owned businesses to close their doors. For one North Texas restaurant owner, he’s finding ways to overcome these challenges and continues to serve free meals to those who need them. Owner Ram Mehta says, “I get to meet a lot of amazing people. It’s all like a big extended family.”

Before customers order at the counter, they’re greeted with a sign on the door:

If you are Hungry, Homeless or Can’t afford a meal.

Please honor us by stopping by during business hours

for a couple of slices of Hot Pizza & Fountain Drink at No Charge.

If any employee here doesn’t treat you with same respect as a paying customer.

Please Call Ram directly at (number given). No questions no judgement.

Thank you for giving us an opportunity to serve you. God Bless You.

Ram says, “At one point in my life I was homeless, and my mom basically told me ‘Never forget where you came from.’” These are words he took to heart. So, he posted this sign to his restaurants' front doors as a reminder. It honors his mother, Lata Mehta who passed away three years ago.

This kind gesture called “Everyone Eatz” bloomed into a movement bigger than Ram ever imagined. He started holding events throughout Texas and has provided more than a half a million free meals and more. He says, “We started giving out cars to single moms, we started paying for rent for a few people, we started giving backpacks, toys for Christmas. So, it’s just about helping your neighbor.”

He hopes this example will inspire others to pay it forward. It’s already working. He says restaurants in Wisconsin and Florida have reached out asking to adopt the movement and help people in their communities.

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Believers are to show the same love and care to those in need (1 Jn. 3:17-18; Heb 13:16). This reflects our greater mission of inviting people to “’Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Rev. 22:17).

Kenneth and Adi Martinez immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 2011. When given the opportunity to help a family of four who recently fled Afghanistan, they jumped at the chance. Kenneth said, “We know exactly what it feels like to come to a brand-new county with no family or anything,"

The government expects tens of thousands of Afghan refugees will come to the United States over the next year, and resettlement agencies are working with organizations and individuals like Kenneth and Adi to help the refugees find housing.

Kenneth, Adi, and their two small children live in the Seattle area, and offered their spare bedroom to the family from Afghanistan. Over the last month, they have been getting to know one another, with the adults cooking and the kids playing together. Kenneth said, “We are happy that we can help.”

The United States military withdrawal from Afghanistan has created an acceleration of Afghan refugees. In the final stages of the withdrawal, a lot of attention was trained on the desperate plight of Afghans who wanted to flee their country but couldn’t. Just as desperate, however, are the Afghans who made it out but are struggling to find places to live.

Airbnb specializes in matching up homeowners willing to share space with travelers needing temporary accommodations. During this time of need it is attempting to help fill the gap. CEO Brian Chesky tweeted a statement of support, promising that the firm would arrange free housing for up to 20,000 refugees fleeing Afghanistan.

The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up. While we will be paying for these stays, we could not do this without the generosity of our Hosts. To make this happen, we are working closely with Airbnb.org, NGOs, and partner orgs on the ground to support the most pressing needs.

Airbnb has not indicated how long this housing would be made available or to what extent if any it will assist in long-term placement for these refugees. But this isn’t the first time Airbnb has pledged its support during a public crisis. In March 2020, it offered up 100,000 accommodation sites to first responders and relief workers trying to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

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Not everyone has the power and influence of the CEO of a successful internet startup, but everyone has something they can share with another person in need. When we follow the Spirit's prompting to act hospitably toward those who so desperately need it, we demonstrate the love of Jesus.

Assembling your office team is like putting together a puzzle. To succeed, you need to find the proper combination of complementary talents. Hiring a bunch of go-getters is not the sole solution to creating a successful team. Big egos and arrogance can turn the office into a battlefield--a killer for a small company. Instead, strive for balance as you hire.

Here are the six personalities every startup needs:

1. The Dreamer: The dreamer is a motivating force in creating the company and a sustaining force every day after. The dreamer inspires, excites, and leads the company from a sky-high view.

2. The Manager: The manager takes a dream and makes it happen. They are pragmatic, reliable, and have the initiative to turn ideas into action items. It’s all about being approachable, trust-worthy, and forward thinking.

3. The Builder: The builder thinks like an architect and has a clear understanding of the company vision and knows how to create it. He or she is intuitive, bright, and inventive.

4. The Workhorse: The workhorse is happy to step up and do whatever it takes to make the company engine purr. You will never hear the words: “It’s not my job” come out of this person’s mouth. The workhorse gets things done behind the scenes.

5. The Penny Pincher: The penny pincher never commits to a cost without first considering the options. He or she is creative with budgets, doesn’t spend unnecessarily and understands the difference between need and want.

6. The Social Butterfly: The person has the ability to create connections among team members, laugh at themselves and others, and shift perspective at the right time. They are an essential ingredient to strong morale and a happy team.

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This variety of personality types (with their biblical titles) is also essential for a healthy church. God supplies each church with a diversity of spiritual gifts to equip the local body to best serve the church and the community. For example, the “dreamer” has the spiritual gift of faith, the “manager” has the gift of administration, the “builder” has the gift of leadership, the “workhorse” has the gift of serving, the “penny pincher” may have the gift of giving, and the “social butterfly” the gift of encouragement or showing mercy.

Author Jake Meador writes:

Love also must be faithful because when we love we do not simply will the person’s good a single time and then stop. We see this in marriage and parenting, of course, but friendship should be faithful as well. In the aftermath of my father’s injury, one of the qualities we most appreciated in many of my parents’ friends was their fidelity. One woman from the church is still mowing their yard once a week over three years after Dad’s injury. We could depend on them not simply on the day of the injury but a month later, a year later, three years later.

For ten years, once a week, I waited outside abortion clinics, offering help to the women and men going in and coming out. Most of the hours I spent outside the abortion clinic are now a blur of defeat and despair: an obscenity hurled by a passerby; an occasional clash with clinic workers, or abortionists; freezing snow; sweltering heat; pouring rain.

However, punctuating all this failure every once in a while, a woman would change her mind and decide not to have an abortion. I saw at least 2,500 women go into the clinics. Roughly a couple dozen of them told me upon leaving the clinic that they had decided to keep the baby. And how many more changed their minds without ever speaking to me, I will never know on this side of heaven.

I received such a glimmer not long ago. It arrived—just a message on Facebook:

I’m not sure you remember me. I met you 20 years ago outside of Women Services on Main St. … I was only 15-years-old. You saved my son’s life. I was alone, there to start a two-day procedure. … However, that night I felt my son move. The next day on my way into the building I met you. … I believe you read me some scriptures and made me aware of other options. So, I decided to … continue with the pregnancy. ... You were truly a blessing to me. Today my son is almost 20 years old. … (H)e’s the best thing that ever happened to me. When I think of him, I often think of you.

During those years of waiting in front of abortion clinics, I trusted that God would bring forth from my small efforts the fruit he saw fit. And being offered just a sliver of that reward now, I am encouraged all the more to be faithful even in times when I don’t see visible fruit. (Now) a 19-year-old college student is bringing his faithful mother a harvest of love and joy. How much more love and joy we bring our Father as we patiently await the fruit only he can bring.