Living to Serve

Thinking about life and the purpose of life can fill many thoughts each day. Throughout my entire life, thoughts popped into my mind about what I can learn and use for myself as well as for others. As a child, I learned day by day to help with younger brothers and a sister in our family. Touching family, school and church I learned the importance of helping others and what God planned for my life as He called me to help others. That seemed to be the plan from God for my entire life. Through God’s help I was able to learn throughout my life and serve others through family, friends, work and church.

Then an unexpected event happened to me in my life. An accident changed my life throughout my entire body, particularly into my brain. I didn’t know who I was, who other people were, what words were said to me or what was happening around me. My only thoughts were that I was intentionally crawling into a hole in the ground to die. Then a different thought entered my mind from God asking me to step out of the hole because he had things for me to do in my life. As I came out of the hole, I very slowly began to learn about my life. God slowly helped me remember more and more from my life previously. The largest challenge was through words in hearing, speaking, and reading. Even though I couldn’t use words to tell others about what I was beginning to remember from my past, the thoughts within me brought hope to me.

When I was able to move back home from the hospital, I started having memories about knitting, crocheting and sewing. I thought about my life as an 8 year old child with my mother and grandmother teaching me how to sew, knit, and crochet to create many things. I remembered how I continued to learn through my life with making clothes for myself and later for our children and then grandsons. I enjoyed creating things for our home as well as gifts for others. Now as these memories entered my thoughts I realized I didn’t remember how to make them anymore. Yet, I could feel God continuing to talk to me through my thoughts that he had a reason to keep me alive so I could serve others through my life.

I was blessed as dear family and friends worked with me to relearn how to knit and crochet. Slowly I am able to read patterns for things I can make for others. As this learning process became easier, Gary found a wonderful organization that provides newborn baby things for families in need. At first I crocheted and knitted some projects, but then God worked a miracle in letting my mind remember how to sew! Now I can make many of the things needed. From the beginning of my accident, God told me He desired to keep me alive to use me to serve others. I am joyful as I serve babies in need through this organization.

As I have been doing my reading through the Bible, God continues to speak to me through his word to teach me about how he touches other people. I am touched by the story about Dorcas, a woman who served others through sewing. Acts 9:36-42: “In the city of Joppa there was a woman named Dorcas, a believer who was always doing kind things for others, especially for the poor. About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial and laid her in an upstairs room… The room was filled with weeping widows who were showing one another the coats and other garments Dorcas had made for them… Turning to the body Peter said, “Get up, Dorcas,” and she opened her eyes! And when she saw Peter, she sat up! He gave her his hand and helped her up and called in the believers and widows, presenting her to them. The news raced through the town, and many believed in the Lord.” The story about Dorcas being made alive touches my story as well. God chose to keep both Dorcas and me alive. It also seems that Dorcas had physical needs even when she was made alive again. She still needed help to get out of bed and walk to be with the others. She did not jump out of bed as many other people in the Bible did after being healed. She seemed to need help getting out of bed and to walk. This is a sweet story that reminds me how God has different ways to help others. God continued to use her in her life and used her to help many people learn more about God.

My thoughts have also been filled with the life of Paul. At the beginning of his Christian understanding, Paul felt God asked him to help other people understand God’s love and purpose. God gave Paul a busy life as he traveled to many nations as he talked to many people to teach them about God. Paul’s life was challenging in many ways. Sometimes he was treated as a good friend who cared for them and touched them in love and wisdom. Yet many people hated Paul and hurt him deeply in physical ways close to death. Paul was hurt in his head and body with physical changes throughout his life. Yet, he listened to God and remained faithful to God. This speaks to me every day as I live with the many things that have changed me since the accident throughout my body and head as God asks me to work for him. Living obediently to God doesn’t mean he will correct everything through my body, but it does mean he will help me in every way he desires me to serve him throughout the world.

A dear friend recently shared some thoughts from Hebrews with me that touched me deeply. In Hebrews 6:11, the letter says, “We want each of you to go on with the same hard work all your lives so you will surely get what you hoped for.“ God brings hard work for His believers to serve others, yet faith and patience is the result. Further in the letter we are told in Hebrews 6:17-18, “God‘s purposes never change…God cannot lie when he makes a promise… These things encourage us who come to God for safety. They give us strength to hold onto the hope we have been given. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong.“ I believe that when God gave me ongoing life, he wants me to serve him by helping other people. He reminds me that this is hard work, yet he gives faith and patience as I serve him.

My friend also shared from an author Richard Lee who writes: “It says in Hebrews chapter 4 that God‘s works were finished from the foundation of the world. In other words, God had already provided the answer to your every need before the world was ever formed. Focus on the promises he has given you in his Word. Turn your attention to fulfilling his purpose for your life. Live in the confidence that he is in control. Now you can relax, for there is nothing to worry about. God cares, and he keeps his promises to help.“ These thoughts touch my heart and mind.

Despite all the enjoyment in my life, I struggle some days with sadness due to my loss in my brain from the accident. But Gary shared a thought with me how God can use me even with my brain problems, it was from an author Joan Chittister a Benedictine Sister who wrote: “We have a sister in the community who has been in a wheelchair since she was four years old. She is a victim of muscular dystrophy so limiting that she moves only the thumb on her right hand. All day long she sits in a body brace, her neck supported by a headrest, and “types” letters to friends with the aid of voice recognition software. She doesn’t travel like the rest of us, or manage large institutions or organize workshops. But people flock to the monastery to talk with her—I think because they seem to know intuitively that in her powerlessness she understands theirs.”

God has blessed me for my entire life. For some reason, he kept me alive after the terrible accident over a year ago. God has chosen to keep me alive for his purposes to serve him by helping other people. This gives me hope in the midst of all the things that have changed me physically and I pray it will give you hope as well.