Spurring One Another On

 

Acacia B. had stopped to get gas at the Exxon station on the corner of Villa Maria and Harvey Mitchell in College Station, Texas. After filling up and paying inside, she noticed a young lady trying to get her attention. She kept pointing to a piece of paper tucked under the windshield wiper. As Acacia went to retrieve the paper, the lady got in her car and drove off. As she unfolded the paper, she read, “God put it on my heart to give you this! Have a good day!” Folded into the note was a $1oo bill. What the giver didn’t know was that Acacia had been fighting Stage 4 cancer for a year and had been without work for five months, due to the treatments. She relayed the story to Rusty Surrette, in hopes that the lady would see his post and know how appreciative she was of the random act of kindness. She wrote, “To the young lady who left me the letter and gift: I wish I could tell you in person how much your kindness touched my heart. Your gift lifted a weight off my shoulders and eased a stress that I have been carrying for quite some time. Please know that I am beyond grateful. Your generosity came at a time when I needed it more than you could ever know. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You made a difference in my life today, and I will never forget it.”

While a college student, Allie Reimold signed up to be a bone marrow donor. A few years later, a call came that she was a match for a man with leukemia. Allie went through the process to donate her bone marrow to David Whitson, a United Airlines pilot. The transplant for successful and Whitson was able to resume his career as a pilot. One day, David noticed that Allie was flying out of Houston. He asked permission from the crew of her flight to make an announcement. Whitson picked up the microphone and told the passengers, “Someone on board saved my life. My body now produces blood from her donated cells, even changing my blood type. She is a true hero. One simple decision gave a stranger the greatest gift of all: more years to live.” Whitson then went to Allie’s seat and gave her a hug. The passengers burst into applause.

 

May we, too, be willing to spur others on to do good works and in turn be spurred on by observing what others do.

 

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

Hebrews 10:24

 

Worth the Time and Effort

 

Justin and his friends had a decision to make. Due to religious beliefs, a boy in their class was not allowed to dress up for Halloween. Not wanting their classmate to be left out, seven students dressed as Secret Service agents and let their classmate come as the President.

For over 10 years, Charlie Hicks, 78, ate lunch and dinner at the Shrimp Basket in Pensacola, Florida. He became family to the staff and chefs. When Charlie missed a few days, chef Donell Stallworth drove to his apartment to check on him. No one opened the door, but Donell heard a faint voice calling from inside. He was able to get in the door and found Charlie lying on the floor. The chef immediately called for help. Charlie had two broken ribs and was severely dehydrated. When he was ready to be discharged from the hospital, the staff and chefs helped Charlie move into the apartments next door to the restaurant, so they could check up on him.

 

Ed Moseley, 86, lives in a retirement community. The staff and residents joined a challenge to make tiny hats for newborns. Even though he had never knitted, the retired engineer wanted to participate. Ed asked his daughter to purchase the beginning supplies: a loom kit, yarn, and tools. After a few attempts, Mr. Moseley made a hat he was pleased with. The retirement community, friends, and family contributed 300 tiny hats, with Ed making 55. They gifted them to the neonatal intensive care unit at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Ed then made larger hats for his grandchildren.

 

To help clean up litter, Dave Jordan uses a powerful magnet to fish out trash in River Nene in England. One day he was joined by teenager Ryan Davenport. As they removed trash, Ryan pulled out a sealed blue metal case, with an Exemplary Service Medal for 32 years of dedicated service with the Northamptonshire Police Department. It had Geoffrey’s name and badge number on it. With the help of his family, Ryan was able to locate the officer’s family and made plans to return the medal. The award had been stolen from Geoffrey’s home the previous year. Although he was dealing with Alzheimer’s, Geoffrey’s face lit up when he was presented with his treasured medal and case.

 

May we, too, take the time and make the effort to help and encourage others.

 

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

Letting Their Lights Shine

Several high school groups have formed, across the United States, to make sure that no veteran is buried without someone there to honor them. As members of the St. Joseph of Arimathea Pallbearer Ministry, the young men dress in suits and serve as pallbearers for the indigent, homeless, and unclaimed veterans that have no family that can be located. The students take the time to learn the veteran’s name and story and as much as they can about their background. They pay their final respects as an honor guard.

In 1946, Truett and Ben Cathy opened the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia. They developed a recipe, in 1967, that would later become the Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich. During those times, most eating places were closed on Sundays so the employees could go to church, take a break, rest, and spend time with family. The Cathy brothers made that decision a priority for their grill. Years later Truett announced, “We’re in business to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that’s entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” Truett’s son, Dan, eventually became CEO and in 2021, the torch was passed to his son, Andrew. Recently, Andrew Cathy was interviewed and asked if he had considered opening on Sundays. He replied that he never had and didn’t even spend time considering the potential profits. Christian faith continues to be the anchor for Chick-fil-A. Through the years, they have donated enough food to contribute over 200 million meals for those in need.

 

On Sunday, during the Atlanta Falcons football game, rookie Zachariah Branch had two fumbles against the Chicago Bears. Coming off the field, he threw his helmet on the ground. Teammate Bijan Robinson found Branch on the sideline. Knowing he was frustrated, Robinson spoke words of encouragement. Then both players bowed their heads as Bijan prayed. Robinson stated, “He’s a rookie. I just wanted to make sure he was OK mentally and that his faith is high and that he’s spiritually well. Because for a young guy, that’s the most important thing.” Branch has mentioned in several interviews about how appreciative he is of being on a team that shares Christian faith and values.

May we, too, be willing to let the light of Jesus shine through us, for the Father’s glory.

 

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16