Living Generously, Sharing Faithfully
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
He had his backpack and his other few belongings hanging from his pack. However, that was not the what caught my eye. It was that one item on his pack that I had never seen a homeless person carry.
It was a bar stool.
It was a typical bar stool with a padded seat, wooden legs and braces between each of the legs for stability. Strapped to his back the man was ready to take a rest wherever he decided to pause and rest.
As I reflected on the man with his stool, I realized that the man and I have something in common. He was homeless and longing for a home. I also am homeless and longing for an eternal home with Jesus.
He had just the clothes on his back. My filthy rags are nothing like the robe of righteousness that Jesus provides.
One leg for prayer and connection with God, one for the Bible and God’s instruction, and one for witnessing to share God’s word. And the stabilizing factor in all of this is Jesus that connects it all.
Let us never forget that this world is not our home. It is filled with sin, sadness and misery. Yet we can travel through this world with our stool in our lives and let people know that Jesus has a forever home for us.
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree wielding its fruit every month. the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
As you see opportunities to help with flood relief, homeless care, or neighborhood acts of kindness, may we keep walking forward in our world with a message of hope and wholeness while gracefully pointing people to our forever home.