On Helping One Another

One Sunday morning I viewed our backyard through our kitchen window. Something wasn’t right.  It looked like a gigantic bush had grown overnight towards the back.  Actually, a huge twenty-foot branch had snapped off the towering Manitoba Maple – a very old, weathered tree. It is strange as there was no storm or wind that night.  Maybe it had received too much rain to make the leaves heavy. Gary and I went off to church.  When we returned home the branch had already been sawn up in eight-foot pieces ready to be carted off by our helpful neighbours to their farm property.  It is great to have such hard-working friends next door who know what they are doing to clean up a mess.  They had more work to do the next week when another smaller branch fell off onto their property this time, along with a large branch that toppled down from their walnut tree.

In 2019 Gary and I wrote a book called Bubble Up Church (can be purchased through Amazon) which accounts for all the times the phrase “one another” is used in the New Testament of the Bible.  One chapter we called “Let me Help You” is based on Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Too often in our churches attenders come to get help spiritually from the service. They don’t realize when they come to get to know others better and help them with their various burdens, big and small, they will fare far more spiritually when all is said and done. Sometimes when they have the desire to help others, they don’t know what to do as they haven’t been trained properly by church leadership.

Our Hillside Vision meeting on Saturday July 15 didn’t have many attenders which was somewhat discouraging; however, our good friends Rene and Sharon Frey, also church planters, travelled from beyond Montreal, Quebec which was really encouraging particularly when they went out with Scott Lockhart that afternoon to do some door-to-door calling. How helpful was that! Their eyes were opened after their Milton tour to understand that this fast-growing community definitely needs another church.  Scott’s presentation on the future of Hillside was recorded and he plans to do another meeting on Saturday August 26, this time at Swiss Chalet where we meet each Sunday morning.  We would love to have you come.

Scott and his two girls are currently out in BC for two weeks visiting his parents who direct a Christian camp.  He has been helping out with their children’s summer camp programming day by day and preached one Sunday at their local church.  His ongoing health issues seem to be improving because of the fasting diet he is subjecting himself to.  One more week to go before he gradually gets to eat normally again.  Hopefully the bad bacteria in his body will be conquered which is causing digestive ailments.  Also, someone has agreed to purchase his Timmins home in August which will help increase his income flow.  He and another pastor friend are setting up a lead generation business for painting, driveway, landscaping etc. contractors so they can be an example co-vocationally for other church planters.  Thankfully, these days are more positive for Scott.

It is hard to believe that one of our eleven grandchildren, Kaiya, will be the first one to get married August 19. Gary will be performing the ceremony.  A wedding cannot be pulled off without the help of all the family members and friends being responsible for various individual tasks.  Kaiya and Will have already been blessed with so many loving actions.  They would really appreciate your prayers as they begin their lives together setting up a new committed Christian home in Orillia.

So how high has your rain level risen this month where you live?  I hope no trees fall on your property!

Blessings to you and yours!

Wendy   

Wendy.carter@kainos.org