Jesus only asks us to do the impossible, to do what only He can do through us if we let Him, huh?
Our neighbor is in the hospital with some ailment that all of his drinking has caused him, a sweet man who speaks mostly Spanish but understands a little bit of English. He asked me if I drink, which he knows that I do because he's seen me drink a beer or two at his backyard barbeques. I said that I drink but don't get drunk, and he nodded his head because he knows too that he's never seen me drunk. For that matter, I'd never seen my neighbor drunk, but the enormous heap of aluminum Bud Light cans in his back yard that would collect there periodically until he'd periodically haul them off testified to our neighbor's taste for alcohol. I actually lied when I said what I said about drinking but not getting drunk because on occasion I have let my so-called "social drinking" reach the point of me being buzzed, and my conscience had been bothering me about this. Maybe this was why last night in my visit with our heavily drinking neighbor in the hospital who'd been told by his doctor that he must immediately give up drinking, I said to him, "If you have to give up drinking, so will I," and the look of hope and thankfulness that lit up his face made me feel more alive than I've felt in a long time. And as I clasped hands with our neighbor and new-found "non-drinking buddy," I felt God's Pleasure as I prayed, "OK, Jesus, please do this through me." And I know that Jesus will do it too. Real "Cheers!"
Oh, that we Christians really, really knew this deep down, in ways that change us for the rest of our lives. Our only legacy is love. May it be so (for me).
Jesus only asks us to do the impossible, to do what only He can do through us if we let Him, huh?
Our neighbor is in the hospital with some ailment that all of his drinking has caused him, a sweet man who speaks mostly Spanish but understands a little bit of English. He asked me if I drink, which he knows that I do because he's seen me drink a beer or two at his backyard barbeques. I said that I drink but don't get drunk, and he nodded his head because he knows too that he's never seen me drunk. For that matter, I'd never seen my neighbor drunk, but the enormous heap of aluminum Bud Light cans in his back yard that would collect there periodically until he'd periodically haul them off testified to our neighbor's taste for alcohol. I actually lied when I said what I said about drinking but not getting drunk because on occasion I have let my so-called "social drinking" reach the point of me being buzzed, and my conscience had been bothering me about this. Maybe this was why last night in my visit with our heavily drinking neighbor in the hospital who'd been told by his doctor that he must immediately give up drinking, I said to him, "If you have to give up drinking, so will I," and the look of hope and thankfulness that lit up his face made me feel more alive than I've felt in a long time. And as I clasped hands with our neighbor and new-found "non-drinking buddy," I felt God's Pleasure as I prayed, "OK, Jesus, please do this through me." And I know that Jesus will do it too. Real "Cheers!"
That’s wonderful! May Jesus strengthen both of you as you live out your promise.
Oh, that we Christians really, really knew this deep down, in ways that change us for the rest of our lives. Our only legacy is love. May it be so (for me).
Love everyone? ;-)
Yep! Love God and love others is the creed of Jesus.
Thank you Scott