My husband had moved to heaven about six months, and I was stuck deep in grief. I missed him so much. We were experiencing so many of the first without him, first birthday, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas… I told myself if I could get through the first year, I would survive his passing, but deep in my heart, I knew I would never be okay again.
During this time of struggle, my Pastor called me. He told me we had a lady in our church who needed us. She had cancer and was in the battle of her life. He said she needed meals, someone to clean her house, and anything else we could do to help her. He asked if I would mind coordinating people to help this precious lady.
I thought, “I can hardly put one foot in front of the other, and you are asking me to do this?” Immediately I replied, “No, I can’t do it.” He told me that he understood.
We continue to talk, and I felt a pressing of the Holy Spirit. Just as my Pastor was about to say goodbye, I told him I would help. In my heart, I did not want to go where sickness was because I had dealt with it for many years with my husband, but I knew I needed to help this dear lady.
The next day I got busy. I contacted several women from our church, and we began caring for her. Little did we know she only had a few short weeks before she would move to heaven.
The more I went to see her, the more I overcame my grief. I found peace as I ministered to her and found joy in my heart. The love of God filled me, and during this time of serving, I began to heal.
Jesus was the greatest example of a servant.
Mark 10:45 (NKJV) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus ministered to everyone he was around. His love for others was so passionate.
A servant’s heart means to have a mindset or a desire to selflessly and sacrificially love others. As we serve others, we serve Jesus. As we serve Jesus by serving others, we will be healed in our hearts and minds.
1 Peter 4:10 (LB) “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.”
As God is healing us through serving others, we will have peace and joy.
Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV) “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”
Today if you are consumed with grief, maybe a loss of a loved one, a wayward child, sickness, lost job, or financial pressures, find someone to serve. Give yourself to someone else, make a sacrifice of your life, choose to love others, choose to get your mind off yourself, and do what Jesus would do to help others. When you do, God will reach down and love you right out of your darkness. He loves us with an everlasting love.
Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV) “Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Be healed by serving others!
Patti League
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#pattileagueblogs