Created to do Good

 

It had been years, actually decades, since Jerry Morris found himself in a laundromat.  He was surprised to see that the cost to wash a large load is now $5.00.  For a couple with three small children, it was almost $35.00 to wash and dry their clothes, towels, and sheets for the week.  On this particular Saturday, Jerry, and a team of volunteers from his church, came prepared with hundreds of quarters to put in the washers and dryers for the people.  Morris later explained, “One of the ways our church, SpiritLife, seeks to serve the low-income community nearby is by providing free laundry service on occasion.  It has been happening for some time but yesterday was my first time to be involved.  Members hang out at the laundromat, armed with rolls of quarters, and pay the washing and drying for everyone who comes to do laundry on that day.  They also get acquainted, invite folks to the church, and often pray with them.”  Outside the laundromat, the church provides pizza, hotdogs, and other items to eat and drink.  On this particular Saturday, there was also a worship team and the gospel message was shared.

As a freshman in high school, Rylee Brooks made the varsity basketball team.  Within a few weeks of practice, Rylee began experiencing pain in her lower abdomen.  During practice, a ball hit her in the stomach.  After being checked out, a ruptured cyst and 17-centimeter tumor were found.  Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy were scheduled and it wasn’t long before the treatments caused Rylee’s hair to fall out.  Mrs. Schroeder teaches at the high school and had mentioned Rylee’s situation to her fourth-grade daughter, Hadassah.   That’s when Hadassah came up with a plan to help.  She had her mother take her to Great Clips so she could have her hair cut and a wig could be made.  After the haircut, they took the clippings to Hair Kiss Studio, in Lufkin, Texas, and Melissa Shepherd made a wig for Rylee.  Shepherd commented, “I was really amazed that a little girl would think so much of another person that’s going through what she is going through, and to be so selfless to chop 15 inches of hair to donate to someone.”  Hadassah said the experience taught her that she wants to continue to do good things for others.  After receiving the wig, Rylee said, “I was just like wow, someone did that for me and I just appreciate it a lot.”  And kudos to Mrs. Schroeder for allowing and taking her daughter to fulfill her gift of hair for a wig for Rylee.

 

Whether it’s with an organized group, or individually, may we look for ways to do good works by coming alongside others to give, invest in, encourage, and help ease burdens.    

 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10