Clothing Time - Dorcas - The One Year Women in Christian History Devotional

Acts 9:36-42

Has a funeral ever surprised you? Some people live lives of such quiet devotion that no one knows how special they are—until they’re gone. Then everyone steps up to tell how helpful the dearly departed soul was. “Wow,” you say, as one person after another gets up to talk, “I never knew.”

The funeral of Dorcas was something like that. A Christian from the town of Joppa on Israel’s coast, “she was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36). When she died, her friends sent for the apostle Peter, who was ministering in a nearby town.

When he came to the viewing, it must have been a surreal sight. The poor widows of the town had flocked to the funeral, and they had brought clothing Dorcas had made for them, which they showed Peter. These were their testaments to the goodness of this woman.

Caring for widows and orphans is an important part of Jewish tradition. In that culture, losing a husband usually meant losing one’s income, and so the generous people of the community had to pick up the slack. But Dorcas had done more than merely give alms. She had created items of clothing, very personal gifts, for these needy ones. She wasn’t just throwing money at the problem; she was using her creativity to get involved with people. No wonder they showed up at her wake.

Wake turns out to be a good word for it, because Peter prayed for a miracle and got one. After sending the mourners out of the room, he said, “Get up, Tabitha,” using her Hebrew name. She sat up. Then he took her out to greet those who were weeping over her death.

How can you use your creative gifts to help others? Of course, creativity means more than singing or painting. It might mean sewing seams or running meetings or tending children or managing budgets. God has dished out all sorts of abilities that we use to build our own homes and careers. But every gift he gives needs to be re-gifted. We receive his love and are to freely share it with others, especially those in need. Dorcas understood this, and as a result, she touched many lives.

The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them.

Acts 9:39