A Life Well Lived

Jesus was the perfect example of a life well lived. He set a great example for us by pouring out His life for us.

Recently, Jimmy and I were invited to visit Mrs. Scott who is in her 70's. Her husband, who was 72, had just died about 8 weeks previously of cancer.

This was not an ordinary couple. This couple had laid down their life for children who desperately needed them. They took in children whose mothers were drug addicts or children who had been abandoned. They had been doing this for over 50 years.

They lived on a farm which had been donated for their use and many people in their community reached out to help them with the care of these children. They personally adopted 10 of the children.

As we were driving up to the farm, we talked about what our goal was. We both agreed that it was to find out ways we could support Mrs. Scott during this very difficult time in her life.

By the end of the day we had met with some of her Board and had the privilege of sitting with her in her husband's office and heard about Mr. Scott who very few people knew about. You did not read about him in the paper or see him on TV. He was not rich or famous except to God. He was very rich in the things of God and very famous to the children that he helped.

May our prayers be that we would be willing to lay down our lives in a quiet way to serve those God loved and died for. As we drove the 2 hours home we talked about how we felt to have been at the feet of Jesus all day.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Scott for lives well lived. I can't wait to meet Mr. Scott in heaven and say to him - well done thy good and faithful servant. I am sure the Lord has already told him that, but I want to join the chorus.

Anne

Sacrifice and Blessing

Have you ever considered that with sacrifice there comes a blessing? Over the years I have watched so many situations where this is true.

Just a few weeks ago I was allowed to be involved in the preperation for an adoption reunion. Sarah had called and asked me if I could help her locate her child she had placed in adoption when she was 15. Sarah had lived with us during her pregnancy and stayed on with us until she graduated from college.

She made the decision to adopt because she knew that she could not provide all this child needed and she wanted her child to have a future and a great chance at life. She later married and had a child in that marriage. Now both children were grown up and she just wanted to see if her birth child would want a reunion.

It was my joy to help start the search process and her birth child was located. It turns out they are both teachers and her birth child has had a wonderful life. They will meet each other over the summer vacation.

I lived with Sarah and held her as she placed her child. A great sacrifice was made for the sake of her child. Now Sarah is receiving a great blessing. What she desired years ago has happened and now she is going to see her child face to face.

Jim and I have known sacrifice in our lives as we have chosen to care for young women and their children. We have had heartbreak for those who did not respond. But overall I would say that the blessing has far out weighed the sacrifice.

One final thought...when we sacrifice we usually do not see the blessing immediately. It generally takes years, but the wait is worth it because of what God does in all of us in the years between the sacrifice and the blessing.

Anne