Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

a lack of love for one another and for the needy and the suffering is one of the signs of the end times.  We are tempted to care for our own family, and can somehow be hardened toward others.  We can get so busy caring for ourselves, providing for our own, while our “next door” neighbor is confined to a bed or limited by failing health and has none to converse with, no one to provide comfort.  The churches, in the most fortunate cases, take care of their own sick and needy.  But even so, they may fail to reach outside the doors of the church building. There are so many lonely people all around us, who are empty, just waiting to be noticed and spoken to.

John 5:2-7

2. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water; whosoever then first after troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty eight years.
6. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He said unto him,” Wilt thou be made whole?”
7. The impotent man answered Him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”

About a year ago we were visiting elderly Christians in a nursing home. An old hunchbacked lady began sharing the tragedy of her life, how she raised nine children in the most difficult circumstances, with hardly any financial means, and how all were gone, scattered in various countries, busily living their own lives. They do not know if she is still alive, and she does not know anything about any of them. We could hear her deep heart’s cry, and words of comfort seemed so far. Could what she was sharing be true? Other ladies confirmed that she was telling it as it is. Her pain was so deep that she would pour it upon any stranger who had a listening ear. We continued to point her to Jesus, the ultimate source of comfort. 

Friends, we need to remember our Lord Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him, suffered the cross and the shame. That joy was you and I who have been saved in order to be done with living for ourselves and to start living for Him who died for us.

We can start a change by asking Him to forgive us, heal us and help us to see people rather than trees! . . .

Mark 8:22-25

22. “And He cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him.
23. And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought.
24. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
25. After that He put His hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”

God sees every man and woman He created. God sees them in their needs, He hears their cries. No one is invisible to God. We pray that He will open our eyes, touch us again and restore us to Himself. May we see people clearly and hear their cries, weep with them and rejoice with them. May no one that we know ever have to say “ I have no man…”.  Let us each be the man and the woman of God ready to help, to encourage and to be with he who is in need of someone. May we cheerfully make ourselves ready and always available to Jesus, for the time is short, there is much work to do and He is at the doors.

In His love,

the workers at EEO