Laura Photo

Good Story

A few days ago a Kentucky garbage man noticed no trash cans were being put out at an elderly woman's house on his route for two straight weeks. He was concerned enough to share the address with his supervisor. She found the name of the woman at the address and called her: "Ms. Smith, we noticed you haven't put out your cans for a while. Are you ok?" Ms. Smith replied: "I'm ok. But my caretaker was so afraid of the virus that she stopped coming. I can't get to the store. I don't have any trash because I've run out of food. And I don't have any family to help me." After a long pause, the caller said: "You do now. We are your family."

She let her truck driver know of the sad news. The next day, on his day off, he knocked on her door and asked her to make up a grocery list. "Ms. Smith— the list is too short." She added a few more items. "Ms. Smith, this list is still too short. Would you mind if I looked into your fridge?" She relented. He opened the fridge and it was bare. Empty.

An hour later, he brought in dozens of bags of groceries for a woman he hardly knew.

Tears. An air-hug that met social distancing protocol. And the garbage man walked out of the house of this woman who was physically immobile, but levitating. A garbage man decided he'd reach out to someone and church broke out. His supervisor shared the creed with this elderly woman: "You have a family now."

I miss our services of worship. I miss that it's silent now. I'm sick to my stomach we had to push back are start-back date to gather.

But church? Church is happening all around us. It's a phone-call. It's a bag of groceries. It happens anytime someone tells another person who is Jesus in his best disguise: "You have a family now." Real church is not defined by a service of worship, but by servants of Christ.

Keep being church. That's all you have to do.

It’s A Sign

Psalm 92:12-15

12 The righteous will spring up like a palm tree. They will grow strong like a cedar of Lebanon.

13 Those who have been replanted in the Lord's house will spring up in the courtyards of our God.

14 They will bear fruit even when old and gray;they will remain lush and fresh

 15 in order to proclaim:"The Lord is righteous. He's my rock.There's nothing unrighteous in him."

Psalm 49:1-7. Common English Bible (CEB)

1  Listen to this, all you people! Listen closely, all you citizens of the world-

2   people of every kind, rich and poor alike!

3   My mouth speaks wisdom;  my heart's meditation is full of insight.

4   I will pay close attention to a proverb; I will explain my riddle on the lyre.

5   Why should I be afraid in times of  trouble, when the wrongdoing of my bullies  engulfs me—

6   those people who trust in their fortunes and boast of their fantastic wealth?

7   Wealth? It can't save a single person!  It can't pay a life's ransom-price to God.

Psalm 68:1-6

1 Let God rise up; let his enemies scatter; let those who hate him run scared before him!

2 Like smoke is driven away, drive them away! Like wax melting before fire, let the wicked perish before God!

3 But let the righteous be glad and celebrate before God. Let them rejoice with gladness!

4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Exalt the one who rides the clouds! The Lord is his name.Celebrate before him!

5 Father of orphans and defender of  widows is God in his holy habitation.

6 God settles the lonely in their homes; he sets prisoners free with happiness, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

Psalm 9:11-12

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who lives in Zion. Proclaim his mighty acts among all people!

12 Because the one who avenges bloodshed remembers those who suffer; the Lord hasn't forgotten their cries for help.