In yesterday's blog, Heather spotlighted a man that has had quite the adventurous ride in his life. He was a good kid, went to college or a trade school, had a career and then fell off from drugs and alcohol. He has a "velvet" voice, a voice he proudly claims came from God. I agree totally with him! He has been clean for about two and a half years now and is really just trying to start over and get a chance to get a job and just live a "normal" life of a 53 year old man. He is probably one of the most humblest people I have ever heard speak on tv, and he gave EVERY glory to God. He literally lived off of donations from doing voice overs on the side of the street and people giving him spare change or a few bucks here or there.
The part that hurts me to my heart about the whole story is what I heard about on tv about him. There were broadcasters saying, why should anyone give him a chance to start over, his fall was due to his own poor choices. He became an addict and alcoholic of his own volition, and therefore he is not due any second chances.
WHAT A SHAME!!! No one should judge the road of another, they never know when they may be on the very same road, especially when they are not perfect themselves.
It is so sad to see that fellow man can jump right on someone and act as though they are somehow not worthy of a second chance. God KNOWS had Heather not given me a second chance to stand up and do something worth value to others and more importantly valuable to God, where would I be? Would everyone have continued to overlook me because of my poor choices??? Today's scriptures is about giving to the needy, and at that time in my life I was needy, very needy. My Pastor, his wife, and Heather came along beside me and let me know that even though I had made mistakes, I was still VERY important to God and still VERY worthy of His love! That was a horrible time in my life when I had to hold myself accountable to myself, God and then the court systems. I was so far into my own black hole that I had self mutilated for a long while, didn't feel worthy to even live and contemplated how to end my life. I only wanted to escape my shame, embarrassment and EVERYONE"S (or so I thought everyone) glares.
I am not, never have been, nor never plan to be a horrible person. I truly only wanted to do right, to handle the situation I was in the best way I could, instead I screwed everything up horribly. Once I had done this, I knew that God was upset with me, so then the depression started in, after that it was a done deal until someone saw a little glimpse of hope in me. God still loved me, I just was needy right then and needed to be given a handout. Not a monetary handout, but a handout to help me get up, dust myself off, and start over! After I came clean about all that I had done, it was so relieving. I so wanted to feel God's love in my life again. As Christians, we MUST MUST MUST look for those people that seem to have it all under control and living okay and reach out to them and make sure that they are waiting on you at that very second. It is so hard to be in a dark dungeon of your own making. After I saw the light, I went to church the following Sunday and I swear to you, I KNOW my Pastor had prepared that very message for me! Of course he didn't, but God put the very words that I needed to hear in his mouth for my ears.
Pastor Jim, Carole, nor Heather ever went around and boasted about how they helped lead me out of my dungeon, we never really spoke about it again. They all made sure to check on me, and even some other very important ladies, Renee Robinson and Becky Vaudt, came along side of me and loved on me, and most importantly made sure to keep me accountable. They all checked in on me from time to time, they weren't ever intrusive, just observant and loving. It was exactly what I needed in my most needy time.
I urge you, and I mean that with tears rolling down my cheeks as I type this, please make an effort to reach out to needy people. You do not have to tell anyone, in fact scripture tells us not to, you just do it because God wants and needs you to. You never know the road someone else is going down, and they may very well be going down it all alone. It is so dark and lonely doing it by yourself. There are so many people that are homeless, hungry, alone, sickly, depressed, hurt, and whatever else that need YOU to come along beside them and love on them the way God loved on you in your darkest hour!
Matthew 6:2-4, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Those people that reached out to me, will NEVER know how much I love them and care for them and about them!
Much love,
Kari
