April 16, 2012

Matthew 25:40 Personified

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Have you ever seen a Bible verse lived out in full color right before your eyes? It is a sobering and humbling experience to say the least. In a split second, you might glimpse the tenderness of the Lord, His amazing grace, or the frailty of a life held by His hand.


I witnessed something so full of the Lord this past week that it has taken me days to wrap my head around it. My son. Used by the Lord.


We are blessed to live next door to a very "to herself" widow and her brother. About a week ago, she knocked on our door to ask for help. Her brother had fallen and could not get off the floor. I grabbed my shoes and my oldest son and went right over.

It turned out that our poor neighbor had fallen about 14 hours earlier and had spent all night "stuck" on the floor. I guided my son to help the embarrassed man off the floor and to the kitchen table to eat his long overdue meal. Many thank yous later, my son and I were home.

The next day, the man had fallen again and required both my husband and my son's help to get back into bed. We were beginning to worry that he was really going to become injured. He was losing strength very quickly.

Here's where I take a deep breath to share the rest of the story...

My neighbor called me again to ask for help. This time, her brother was stuck after trying to use the restroom. He had spent over 15 hours sitting on the stool and simply could not get up on his own.

It took 3 of us to get him to bed.My neighbor, Me, and my 18 year old son. Honestly, it was mostly my son. He helped our friend stand, get decent, and slowly inch out of the bathroom. My son had to lift him as he walked as the mans sister slowly pulled the walker forward and I followed close behind with a chair. It was only about 15 feet from the stool to the bed, but it took us over an hour. My son calmly and quietly encouraged the elderly man, "You're doing great! Just a few more steps..."

I left that place breathless. Not because the man needed such intimate help, we all do at one point or another. No. I left breathless because my son had poured himself out in a way that was more than beautiful. He didn't flinch when the man was half dressed and soiled. He didn't flinch when he had to bear such an incredible burden of shuttling him to safety. No, he simply did what he needed to do.

I believe I witnessed Matthew 25:40 as my son helped one of the "least of these" and I am confident the Lord was pleased...

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