One Little Church, Two Sisters, and The Light of the World

There are these two sisters, both pretty quiet. They are probably in their 60s or 70s. They work in a local nursing home, and they live together in a small, but cozy, house. I met them a few months ago at church.

One sister came to our small church family and said, "My neighbors across the street need help. Can we help?" So the church family said yes. The sister asked the neighbor what she needed, and if she would like our church to help. The neighbor said yes and shared a Christmas list. And then, this little church family proceeded to buy all the clothing and gifts and groceries and gift cards on that list for a mom and her four kids - so many wonderful gifts. After all the gifts were wrapped up beautifully, they were delivered to church last week and set on a long table that had a festive plastic red table cloth placed over it. The table overflowed.

Later in the week, the two sisters came to church to load the gifts into their little car, which showed its age in the rusted out frame. They popped the trunk, excitedly describing the stocking stuffers they bought for the family, and we went inside the church to get the gifts.

On the way in, one of the sisters said something that I'll never forget: "We never got to do anything like this before. We can't wait!" I found out these sisters - two of nine kids - grew up in a family that had an awful lot of needs, even though they were always satisfied with the little they had. They absolutely couldn't wait to bountifully bless that mom and her kids. As the sisters drove away - the tiny car overflowing with the gifts from the church for the family across the street - they were giddy with excitement.

I went back into the church and sat down in one of the pews and wept tears of gratitude for being so blessed to witness their overflowing joy. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors. And, to love them means to stop to see the need (whether its across the street or around the world) and then to compassionately respond. That is exactly what those sisters - and the church family - did. What a humbling picture of what it looks like to be the hands and feet of Jesus as a community of faith - to bring the light of Christ into a hurting world...one small step at a time.

John 1:1-5...

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Merry Christmas, family and friends! Jesus Christ has given us the Greatest Gift - of salvation through His birth, death and resurrection. May the light of Christ shine through you and bring His hope to the world!