Traveling the Rock Road

I have a friend who spent a number of years as a missionary in the Central African Republic. He wasn’t what many would consider to be a typical missionary, leading church services and such to the people there. He was a mechanic and he came to be a help to others there that were working to provide better lives for villagers, such as digging wells. He worked tirelessly to keep trucks and equipment running with the aid of several men native to the region. My friend told me many fascinating stories from his years in the C.A.R., but one particular account has stuck with me and made a conviction in my heart since.

One year this friend contracted a virus that made him miserably ill. At one time this most likely would have taken his life, but with advancements in medicine he would recover though the only thing he could do for the time being was lay in his bed and be miserable. One of the men that worked for him came to his house. He wasn’t there to offer anything to ease his suffering and he made no conversation since all my friend could do was lay on his bed and moan from pain. He just sat in a chair next to the bed for the entire day. It was a custom there when someone was gravely ill another would come and sit with them, I’m assuming to let them know they were not alone and that there were ones who cared. He couldn’t do a thing to stop the pain so he did the next best thing, be there. Perhaps simply a ritual to this man, but to me it spoke volumes of what God intended for all of us.

Someone wrote a modern-day parable that goes like this: “Sometimes we need someone to simply be there, not to fix anything or do anything in particular, but just to let us feel we are supported and cared about.” I’ve heard it said Christians fall down when it comes to caring for others like they should. And to be truthful many of us are guilty of not displaying enough compassion to others. But what if not only Believers but all would take a little extra effort to let someone know they are cared for, they are loved? But on the subject of Believers, Christ was certainly straight to the point of how we should treat each other.

Mark 12:30-31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

There was a time I felt I had little to offer to someone else, that is until my friend told me the story of the man who sat with him. The only thing he had to give was a caring heart for his brother.  And I don’t know anything more precious or valuable than that.

This last weekend I traveled a 300-mile roundtrip to see an old friend in the hospital. I had nothing to bring him and I wasn’t sure what words God would give me to say to him. That didn’t matter. It was the fact that I came and showed him I cared that was the important thing. Now please, don’t take that as blowing my own horn; I’ve said often I’m not anything special. But God laid it on my heart that I had to go see this old friend to let him know two things with my presence; God cares for him, and so do I.  Again, I emphasize that I don’t see what I did as any more than showing love for this individual. But as of yesterday, he had not walked in several weeks.  And today, I saw a picture of him standing and using a walker. At times our Lord sends healing by someone showing that they care.

Just sayin’.

See ya next time