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A little faith goes a long way

Posted by jackigeer on May 12, 2009 in Daily Bread | 6 comments

I saw a show the other night about people who had won the lottery. They were following up to see what the winners had all done with their new found riches.

Some of the stories were good and some not so good. But one ladies story stood out from the rest. While the cameras were taking us on a tour of her lovely home showing all the shiny new things she bought with her winnings, they went to the back yard. There she had a simple kidney shaped swimming pool. She said there was a reason she got a pool in the shape of a kidney. A few years back, she worked at a kidney foundation. She said it was difficult seeing people everyday who desperately needed an organ donated to them in order to live while knowing she had a perfectly good one that could save someone’s life. So she donated one of her kidneys….to a total stranger! Can you imagine? Wow, anyway…She said the pool was a reminder of the man’s life she helped save and also a reminder that when you do good things for people it will always come back to you.

Years later she was able to meet the man who got her kidney. They are still in touch to this day. I’m sure he feels forever indebted to her, not because he has to but because he wants to…she saved his life.

Maybe that is what God is trying to tell us in Ephesians 2:8-10 when it talks about doing good works….

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation – created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.”

God has given us the greatest gift of all….our life. How better to show our thankfulness than to do good things for others.

6 Comments

May12

Herb Zabel

Jacki, Thank you for that insight, especially your last sentence. We have been given God’s generosity, how can we possibly horde it up and not share it with everyone?

Is it possible to have holiness living through us and not let it out for everone to see? I don’t know how God judges. I don’t know if we can be his children and not have actions that show it. I do know that I don’t want to be accused of not being saved b/c my life does not show it, and I don’t want to miss out on bringing in the kingdom of God b/c I don’t feel up to working.
May12

Penny

Jacki, thanks for the story. It does remind me that I am like the man waiting for the kidney. He didn’t do anything to deserve or earn the transplant but he desperately needed it. I don’t earn or deserve God’s love but I desperately need it.
I have another prayer request it is for the Calhouns in Greece. Mary is due to have their third child and wants it to happen today. Please pray he’ll come and be healthy and safe delivery. Thanks
May12

Doug

Thanks so much Jacki. I poked my head in the storage room back stage during the last F1A and saw you and Ben building some massive shelves – clearly using your natural skills and passions to help and love others. Thanks for that…and it’s great to have you, Ben, and Nicole here at CCC. And not that this should be my motivation, but I’ve found that when I’ve gotten over myself long enough to really love and serve others, that God gives ME more LIFE! Thanks for the reminder and encouragement.
May12

alan

even after toilet paper and pooping goats, you all came back to CCC!!!! Now THAT’s a God-thing.

Jacki, you wrote: God has given us the greatest gift of all….our life. How better to show our thankfulness than to do good things for others.

That is the heart of the gospel AND the heart of our mission. Well said. Non-preacher-like.

If people got this, the whole “I’m not connecting at church thing” OR “The church just isn’t meeting my needs” OR “I’m just not being fed anymore,” would really become very bogus things of a selfish past.

I think the more good things we do for others outside the church walls, the more loving, patient, and family we become inside the church walls.

Thanks for this, Jacki.
blessings on ALL you and Ben are doing.

alan
May12

Frank Sullivan

Thanks for your great thoughts, Jacki! I really enjoyed reading your story (and Ben’s) and how you made your way to Cumberland. I also really appreciated your thoughts about us doing good for others to show God how thankful we are! Right on!! Looking forward to getting to know you better!
May12

Megan Sullivan

Oops! Last comment was from Megan, not Frank.

Hi, my name is Jacki Geer. I was born in Philadelphia, PA and moved to Florida when I was 2. At age 8 we moved up to Georgia, which couldn't come soon enough since my parents took me to see the movie "Jaws". What were they thinking!! My weekends at the beach were never quite the same after that! When I was 21, oh so long ago, I was married for two years and had a baby girl named Nicole who is now 20! (wow, where has time gone) I did a little dating here and there for the next 11 years or so....then....finally....I met "the one"...at Home Depot of all places! (we were both in the building business) It's funny, out of all the men I had seen every day of my life, when I saw Ben, I said to myself, "I could marry that man!" and guess what....I did 11 months later! We have been married now for almost 7 years. If you read Ben's "feed one another" a couple weeks ago, you already know that he was also married before but does not have any children of his own. He is a mighty proud step dad though! Wish us luck, we are wanting to extend our family a bit and are hoping for a little one really soon! About 6 months ago, on a Saturday night, Ben, Nicole and I were eating dinner talking about wanting to find a good church we could start going to. We decided to give a try to the church we had seen down that long street next to the Burger King. So we went the next morning. (This was a couple weeks before "the goat") Our first visit was definitely an unforgetable one....rolls of toilet paper and confetti were being thrown across the auditorium and everyone was cheering. Nicole and I looked at each other and started laughing and said, "okay, this church is cool". We have been attending ever since! By the way, we love how this church is willing to go "outside the walls"....that's what it's all about!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:8-10

1) "If Jesus is given the chance to live in us then He can work through us."

2) "When faith kicks into action it produces good works."