Lost, Last, Least Of These

Morning, Bloggers...

It seems like we're never let down during this October month. It's all non-stop from Zoe conference to our daughter's birthday to a Block Party at the church to chaperoning 50 some 4th through 6th graders to visiting deaf families to preparing for a Christmas movie. Now, this weekend, the deaf men are retreating to Camp Wamava for the Second Annual Deaf Band of Brothers retreat!! It's fun to be busy for the Lord. I need to listen to my body. It does need more rest!

I was listening to one of Zoe's new song, "To The Least of These".. It's a great song! I mean that this song spoke to my heart. Here's the song:

Give us a heart for the hopeless,
the weary and wounded,
For all who are hungry,
helpless and poor.

Let us see the sorrow,
the pain,
and the heartache
that all the abandoned endure.

To the last,
to the lost,
to the least of these,
Let us be Jesus today.

May we reach out to the broken,
the beaten, the battered.
To all who have fallen,
disgraced and ashamed,

May we be a comfort,
loving forgiving
and offering grace
in Your Name.

To the last,
to the lost,
to the least of these,
Let us be Jesus today.

Touching song, right? Do you know anyone that is hurting, beaten, battered, disgraced, ashamed, in sorrow, abandoned, fallen and broken hearted? Jesus shared a story about those who show love and those who don't. In Matthew 25:35-41, Jesus clearly portrayed two different people. I encourage you to read this passage. Matthew 25:40, "..I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

We have a deaf family in great, great, great need of our help. We're one of the first deaf congregation to respond to their cry for help. It's a beautiful family of four. The husband had a very serious health crisis this past August. He ruptured his esophagus and it has a hole in it. He almost died. He's a graduate from Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind and now a teacher for a public school in Maryland. He's now bedridden until December before he returns to the hospital for diagnosis to determine whether his ruptured esophagus has healed or requires extensive reconstructive surgery. He has a "mile-long" scar on his side. He also has an opening on the side of his neck to allow fluids to drain from there. He has a feeding tube running from the bottle into his stomach. He has not eaten anything since August. He said he loves and craves for a smoothie from his mouth down into his stomach. But now, he can't.

The downside of all this is that the medicinal food that's feeding into his stomach costs $250 a bottle. It's not a big bottle. So they are needing $2750 a month from now until the middle of December when he sees his doctor for decision whether his esophagus has healed or not. Not only this, his wife quit her job to spend 24/7 beside her husband. She had to send her 3 year old daughter to be with her grandmother in NY. Her 7 year old is with them. His insurance isn't covering for this medicinal food because it's categorized as "food". It's a long story and one of our benevolence ministry leader is working hard trying to find an open door for this family. Dennis Cesone and I were glad to see them last Saturday afternoon.

So far, we have two deaf churches in the state of Virginia: First Baptist Church of Alexandria (deaf) and West Hampton Deaf Baptist (Hampton, VA) working to help this family in need. We're asking for the following:

1. Safeway gift card (send to Fairfax Church of Christ) or donate food items
2. If you would like to donate $, please contact me at mark.lowenstein@fxcc.org.

Also, remember that there are deaf souls in prisons throughout the United States. They need to see Jesus, too!