To Gather, To Offer

To Gather, to Offer

God doesn’t miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you’ve shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it.

Hebrews 6:10 (THE MESSAGE)

Have you ever been to a place where as soon as you stepped through the door, you knew you’d come back and knew that this place would be a forever deposit in your memory bank? That’s how it felt when I walked through the doors of the West Kootenai Kraft and Grocery. It’s a store in northwest Montana, not far from the Canadian border. It’s not a place you would stumble upon. It’s so far off the beaten track that you must make it a destination to get there. It’s a place centered in the middle of a small community composed of both English and Amish. It’s part store, part bakery, part restaurant, and part gift shop. I thank God that He brought me to this community and allowed me to be a tour guide of sorts to those who are unfamiliar with the Amish lifestyle in Montana.

What I loved about the West Kootenai when I first discovered it was the sense of community I encountered. It truly is a picture of neighbors helping neighbors. Approximately twenty Amish families live among the English. They work together, too. And when there is a need—such as for a local firehouse—everyone pitches in. What an example to all of us!

One of my favorite verses that focuses on having giving hearts is Matthew 10:42: “If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” Is there someone in your life who needs a cup of cold water from you? If so, what does this cup look like? What do you have to pour out with love? The person may be as different from you as the English are from the Amish, but God isn’t concerned about whom you extend grace to, just that you do it.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You that wherever we are gathered, You are there in our midst, and that when we offer help to others, You are pleased.