And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has
been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Romans 5:5 (NRSV)

We do not always know the impact we make or how God will use us to heal another soul. We can also find ourselves surprised by who God is working through to teach and heal us.

The young man in youth was often loud, easily upset, and sometimes volatile. When I began to wonder why he was coming to our Wednesday program, someone told me a little of his story. His father was agnostic, his mother was a wiccan, and his brother was a dedicated atheist. Yet Jim was one of the most consistent youth we had.

During a food drive, we took the youth around town in the church van and picked up cans of food for our food bank. At the end of the day, our youth director asked, “Who would like to close out our day with a prayer?” To my surprise, I saw Jim raise his hand in excitement while saying, “I want to pray, let me say it.” I was a little surprised, but happy to hear Jim’s response. With all sincerity, Jim prayed “Lord, thank you for the miracle of me being a Christian. Thank you for my church. Amen.” I am still humbled by the sincerity and power of this  young man’s faith. In one short prayer, I was reminded of God’s power to break through any circumstance as well as why I have given my life to the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the power of your Holy Spirit to work miracles in all of our lives. Amen.

May the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

Pastor Rick