Earthen Vessels

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.   2 Corinthians 4:7

Thanks to Pat Greer for the following submission: The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.   "Leave me alone," he growled.  To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.   "Are you hungry?" she asked.   "No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."   The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.   "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone".   Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked.   "No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"   The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"   "See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile".   "Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.   "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."   "This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."   Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his  table.   "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this. Is this man in trouble?"   "This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.   "Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."   Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."   The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"   "Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."   "And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"   "What business is that of yours?"   "I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."   "Oh."   The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"   "No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."   "Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"   "Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."   The cafeteria manager turned on his heel "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."   The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.   "That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."   She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest She stared at him intently. "Jack, do you remember me?"   Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar."   "I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.   "Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.   "I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."   Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."   "I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash register I knew then that everything would be all right."   "So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.   "I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."   There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said.   "Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory."   Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.   "On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And thank you for the coffee."

God’s Caring People   By Keith Greer But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) Christ’s disciples had become very forgetful. In how many more ways could He have demonstrated His constant care for them? What do we mean by CARE? The word is defined as “attentive assistance or treatment to those in need.” God’s people are to have many good character traits, and caring is one of them. In what ways do we, as God’s children, demonstrate to Him that we truly care about others? We must be willing to serve. “Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’” (John 13:8) Jesus, previous to His crucifixion, wanted to teach His disciples a lesson—but it was not a lesson on foot washing. He wanted them to learn about humility and service. God’s servants must be willing to serve others. In order to accomplish this, we must see their needs as greater than our own. We must seek for ways to help. Sometimes it may be nothing more than a kind word, a hug, a card, or encouragement for a job well done. We must be willing to offer ourselves. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9,10) Stop and take a good look at what is happening around you. At each service, we announce those who are sick and shut in, or who are on the prayer list. Their names are repeated in the PowerPoint presentation before and after each service. We can see who is here and who is missing. Sometimes, people just need to know you missed them and are concerned about their absence. One never understand how difficult loneliness is until he experiences it firsthand. One of the greatest benefits of visiting, whether it’s a phone call or a personal visit, is the strength it gives to the one who is doing the visiting. Give it a try and see if I’m not right. We must understand our need for each other. “And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.” (1 Corinthians 12:23-25) Just as the physical body works more efficiently and effectively when all the parts are functioning together, so does the body of Christ. God’s people must work to develop our relationships so we can give each other support, comfort, help, and encouragement when needed. We are to be caring Christians. So let’s work toward exhibiting love for one another. http://www.knollwoodchurch.org

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