MIDWEEK MESSAGE #84
Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #84. I hope your week is going well as we dial in closer to Thanksgiving Day. I hope you are taking time each day to write/say/express what you are thankful for. I know I am thankful for you.
At this stage, I do not plan to have a MM next week since it is a short week and Thanksgiving Day and its celebration will be uppermost in most people’s minds. I’m guessing the last thing you will need is one more thing to occupy your time. J So I am going to try to get as much in this edition as possible.
I think uppermost in the minds of some is the upcoming Thanksgiving Lunch we are offering on Thanksgiving Day from 11-1:00 at the Lions Club. We had a tremendous influx of people this past Sunday who signed up to help out in some way. Thank you so much for rallying around this venture.
- I interrupt this MM to make an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. As of today (Wednesday), we have only 14 requested meals. We can add in the local workers (police, sheriff, gas station attendants, etc.) and still fall short of what we have had in the past. We, of course, have no clue how many will come to the Lions Club for a dine-in meal. We should know by Monday how many meals will be needed.
- If you are unclear about what I just said, please call the church office to ask Diana. She knows more than I do. J And if you know of anyone who might need a meal, please call the church office (812.828.9840).
- From Diana: Jeanna & Marcia have requested that the food arrive at the Lions Club between 9-10 a.m., hot and ready to be served. If you have questions, please contact Jeanna (812.821.7776) or Marcia (812.821.7786) for more information! J
Thanks again for volunteering to cook and serve in some way.
This next item is a tough one to write about, let alone explain it in writing. Except for last year’s pandemic, we have offered The Giving Tree during Christmas to make sure local children were able to celebrate Christmas. Here’s how it works: We are given names of families who are in need of help to provide gifts for their children at Christmas, and those names are adopted by folks from OVCF. It is all done anonymously, but the greater joy is found in giving. This year we have brought back The Giving Tree but as of this writing no names have been given. Diana wants the names by this Sunday so it gives her time to make the tags of items needed/desired by the children. The staff met Monday to talk about it and we are unable to explain why no names have been given, although we have our speculations.
- ANOTHER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!! This Sunday is the last day to give names to Diana of children in need. If no names are given, we will shut down the Giving Tree for the year. HOWEVER, if you come in contact with a family who needs help for their children in the next couple of weeks for Christmas, please contact Diana. Thanks to your generosity all year long, the church will be able to meet their Christmas need.
Speaking of Christmas gifts: Monday afternoon Pastor Ryan, Diana and I took the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to Sherwood Oaks in Bloomington (the collection site this year). Final tally is 64 shoeboxes for children! That is absolutely phenomenal. Thank you so much for your generosity and making it possible for children to hear the message of the Good News of Jesus’ birth.
Tuesday morning during my Encounter Time, I read the following story. I want to share it with you:
There was once a young girl diagnosed with a rare disease. Her days quickly went from going to school and playing in the yard to lying in hospital beds tangled with tubes. The doctors ran test after test and concluded she needed an extensive blood transfusion to survive. But finding a matching donor was going to be tough. The parents were tested, but the results came back negative. She had a little brother, and he was a match because they were family. The parents kept that information to themselves until there was other option.
One night while tucking him into bed, they told him. They didn’t ask him directly to do the procedure because of the pressure that would put on him. But reading between the lines he asked, “Can I have the night to think about it?” The next morning he told his parents he would do it. Soon the siblings were sharing a hospital room with tubes running between their beds. As the transfusion was about to begin, the little boy waved the doctor over.
“Yes?” the doctor asked. The boy asked, “How soon will it be before I die?” You see, the little boy thought that by helping his sister, he would have to give up his own life. And he said yes anyway. Live in Grace-Walk in Love, Bob Goff (#320, p. 371)
I’m thinking I don’t need to make the application. You already know it. Can there be anything greater to be thankful for than for God’s indescribable gift? I think not.
This Sunday completes my series on Attitude Check, on making sure our attitude is one of gratitude. The Sunday following Thanksgiving Day I will be preaching a series entitled “Expect the Unexpected.”
One more thing: on behalf of Pastor Ryan, Diana, and myself, thanks to the anonymous person who blessed each of us with a card. Please accept our thanks. We love you and are thankful for you.
Have a great and meaningful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. And please don’t forget the “Giver of every good and perfect gift.” (James 1:17)
Pastor Bill
