Climbing the Mountain
Last Saturday we returned to a low-income apartment complex in our community and ministered to the residents through an Easter Celebration. It was very windy and chilly for the twenty-eight adults and children who arrived early from our church and "worked" the event. We set up games and food and staked out an area for the egg hunt. I took two of my grandchildren with me and knocked doors inviting the residents to bring their children over. Kayla is thirteen and had never been to Barley Courts before. Whereas Hunter, who is eleven, had been there with me many times. Kayla was kind of shy at first to knock and yell, "Good morning, we are having an egg hunt for the children and you are invited!" Hunter said, " Kayla, come on as he climbed the stairs, we are doing this for Jesus, He is with us!" As we climbed those stairs, I once again thought of the verse in Isaiah that tells us our feet are beautiful on the mountains. No, it wasn't actually a mountain, but we were on the second story and were bringing good tidings to people who I believe face many mountains in their lives there every single day
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Isaiah 52:7
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Out of the twenty-eight workers, over half of them were children. They helped me deliver the message. We had a very special time there together proclaiming through song and our lesson that JESUS IS ALIVE!
As I drove away about three hours after I arrived I wondered if the children we ministered to would remember anything we taught them about Jesus, or would they simply remember we brought eggs with candy. Just then Hunter said, "I think all those kids love Jesus, some of them were doing the motions to the song with us." I smiled and said, "Yes, I think so too and I know He loves them."
At church the next day another young man (Eddie) who went to Barley Courts stopped me going across the parking lot and said, "I really liked that yesterday. Something there just touched my heart, you know?" I said, "Yes, I know."
And a little child shall lead them...
My prayer today is that each adult will go out and minister to all the hurting people in this world who are waiting for us to come to climb the mountains they face with them and proclaim the love of God to them there.
How beautiful are our feet when we go and proclaim good tidings of God's love, peace, and salvation to the world!
JESUS IS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!
jbp