This week's story is from Pastor Earl Feddersen, LCMS Foundation Webmaster, manager of the Giving Catalog and author of the weekly mission devotion, Edit-O-Earl. It's a bit of a twist on the normal giving story...not so much about what we give but what God gives us...something good every day.
My 4-year-old grandson Seth has leukemia. I remember the first day we learned that bad news.
Seth's two doctors, specialists in childhood cancer, came into Seth's little cubical in the children's intensive care unit and began explaining the treatments and difficulties that were coming. The head physician, aware that we were talking more about Seth than to him, got down on his knee, took Seth's little hands in his big hands and said:
"Seth, you remember last week's Gospel lesson when Jesus' disciples were out in a boat and a great big storm came up? The wind was blowing them all about and waves were coming into the boat and they were really afraid. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'Don't be afraid. It is I.'
"Well, Seth, this is the storm. But don't be afraid. Jesus is with you and so am I."
There I was, the pastor/grandfather. There, on the other side of the room was my pastor from my congregation. But the real ministering...the real Word from God...was coming from this medical man.
Later, my daughter-in-law asked that we pray. I was still crying...touched at my inner soul by what the doctor had done, but my pastor agreed to pray. BOTH doctors got on their knees with the rest of us around Seth's bed. The one held Seth's hands again, with one hand this time, taking someone else's hand with his other. The other doctor knelt at the foot of the bed and held Seth's little feet in his hands. The rest of us joined hands and prayed. Something approaching a million more prayers have been said since then.
On the way home that evening, my wife told me about a woman she knows who endured a terrible, potentially deadly disease. Her friend had said: "You know, something good happens every day. I just like to think about those things."
I thought again about God's amazing gift to us that day...those two doctors. When the first one knelt and spoke to Seth, I immediately...tears and all...thanked God for sending him to us.
Right then, I determined to ask Seth every time I see him, "Tell me about something good that happened today." He is always more than willing.
A few days ago he said, "GRANDPA! I'm going to show you something magic!" He took my hand and led me to a coloring book. It was the kind that has chemicals imbedded into the pages and other chemicals in clear liquid form in the "crayons." This one was a little different. In addition to the magic of always staying inside the lines, because that is where the chemicals are, this one has a set of "crayons." Each has colored markings on it and the color it produces matches the color of the markings.
It was magic! It was not the science of how it all worked, but the real magic of the wonderful light and sparkle in that little boy's eyes.
God gives us something good every day. Even in the midst of life's most difficult times, He gives us many things to lift our spirits and give us joy. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things" (Philippians 4:8).