Mossy inspired me (in her apology for going the extra mile for a certain poster) to recount a current benevolence situation.
Benevolence has always been a "close to home" topic with me. It's a matter of using the Church's money (God's money) in a wise and judicious manner, understanding that we are to be good stewards with all God has entrusted to us.
Jim & Diane moved to our community from Oklahoma. They planned on retiring here, and building a 4200 sq ft home. They bought some land in the country - about 2 acres, and were planning on retiring here.
They actually used the same plan as my wife and I --- we want to buy a piece of property, build a small guest house on it, live in THAT house while we build our actual retirement home, then use the guest house for grandkids, guests, visiting missionaries, etc.
Jim was a construction contractor and specialized in disaster relief. Diane was his tax/accounting/fiance person. They made a very nice income, but were self employed.
Jim fell and broke 2 ribs, but he was a very active fella (mid 50's) and saw that as a temporary setback. But he couldn't get better. Long story short, it was discovered that he was going into liver failure, and his body was not able to "kick in" to heal the injury, due to, apparently, hepatitis C that he contracted from a blood transfusion 30 years earlier. Jim, in the middle of building their small guest house, is now an invalid, and they have no income.
I was made aware of this situation by a fellow minister in another county - his brother lived in Oklahoma and was very good friends with Jim and Diane, and advised that these were some of the most "giving" and helpful people he had ever met -- and now they were suddenly and drastically on "the other side of the fence".
My wife and I met with Diane -- her husband was at home ill, so we met at Denny's for coffee -- and Diane was a strong woman with an infectious laugh -- until she broke down sobbing that she had always been "on the giving end", and it's so hard to ask for help!
Their most immediate need is a septic system -- the house is framed in, "dried in", walls up, "livable", but no septic system. They had gotten the permit, but in the midst of all that, Jim fell gravely ill. Their finances evaporated, they lost their home in Oklahoma, and they have been getting by through selling equipment, horses, furniture, etc. The dream of building their retirement home is gone, and they are living in this one bedroom unfinished "guest house", with a port-a-potty outside as their only "plumbing".
In all my 40 years of ministry, I have never seen a better case of "yeah, we need to help them". I took one of our men (our Church's men's ministry leader) to visit their home, and it is indeed well planned and well constructed -- so far as it is -- but in needs of lots of work. They have most of the material on site, so it's more a matter of labor, than of buying them construction materials.
And I think I may be getting the septic system donated by a local contractor -- about a $5000 investment.
Why did Mossy inspire this? Because I really need a Mossy just to be a friend to this woman. She has no friends or family in the immediate area, they had planned on re-establishing their business here, but Jim is almost certainly "terminal". (God can change that, of course!) What she needs is the fellowship of women.
I am HAPPY to say that God has recently sent TWO Mossies to my Church -- and they are both eager to engage.
Sometimes it's really hard to know if a person's need is legitimate, but this is one of those rare opportunities where it's so obvious they need and deserve help, and even though our Church is small (but growing) we have the spiritual gits and talents and abilities to help out in a significant way. We're already planning to have some work days out there, finishing up putting the siding on, finishing the deck, working on the plumbing, hanging doors, etc....
God is good!
Benevolence has always been a "close to home" topic with me. It's a matter of using the Church's money (God's money) in a wise and judicious manner, understanding that we are to be good stewards with all God has entrusted to us.
Jim & Diane moved to our community from Oklahoma. They planned on retiring here, and building a 4200 sq ft home. They bought some land in the country - about 2 acres, and were planning on retiring here.
They actually used the same plan as my wife and I --- we want to buy a piece of property, build a small guest house on it, live in THAT house while we build our actual retirement home, then use the guest house for grandkids, guests, visiting missionaries, etc.
Jim was a construction contractor and specialized in disaster relief. Diane was his tax/accounting/fiance person. They made a very nice income, but were self employed.
Jim fell and broke 2 ribs, but he was a very active fella (mid 50's) and saw that as a temporary setback. But he couldn't get better. Long story short, it was discovered that he was going into liver failure, and his body was not able to "kick in" to heal the injury, due to, apparently, hepatitis C that he contracted from a blood transfusion 30 years earlier. Jim, in the middle of building their small guest house, is now an invalid, and they have no income.
I was made aware of this situation by a fellow minister in another county - his brother lived in Oklahoma and was very good friends with Jim and Diane, and advised that these were some of the most "giving" and helpful people he had ever met -- and now they were suddenly and drastically on "the other side of the fence".
My wife and I met with Diane -- her husband was at home ill, so we met at Denny's for coffee -- and Diane was a strong woman with an infectious laugh -- until she broke down sobbing that she had always been "on the giving end", and it's so hard to ask for help!
Their most immediate need is a septic system -- the house is framed in, "dried in", walls up, "livable", but no septic system. They had gotten the permit, but in the midst of all that, Jim fell gravely ill. Their finances evaporated, they lost their home in Oklahoma, and they have been getting by through selling equipment, horses, furniture, etc. The dream of building their retirement home is gone, and they are living in this one bedroom unfinished "guest house", with a port-a-potty outside as their only "plumbing".
In all my 40 years of ministry, I have never seen a better case of "yeah, we need to help them". I took one of our men (our Church's men's ministry leader) to visit their home, and it is indeed well planned and well constructed -- so far as it is -- but in needs of lots of work. They have most of the material on site, so it's more a matter of labor, than of buying them construction materials.
And I think I may be getting the septic system donated by a local contractor -- about a $5000 investment.
Why did Mossy inspire this? Because I really need a Mossy just to be a friend to this woman. She has no friends or family in the immediate area, they had planned on re-establishing their business here, but Jim is almost certainly "terminal". (God can change that, of course!) What she needs is the fellowship of women.
I am HAPPY to say that God has recently sent TWO Mossies to my Church -- and they are both eager to engage.
Sometimes it's really hard to know if a person's need is legitimate, but this is one of those rare opportunities where it's so obvious they need and deserve help, and even though our Church is small (but growing) we have the spiritual gits and talents and abilities to help out in a significant way. We're already planning to have some work days out there, finishing up putting the siding on, finishing the deck, working on the plumbing, hanging doors, etc....
God is good!
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