I shopped for beds, for Christ's sake!

For Christ's sake, I learned about furniture shopping this past week! You can't just walk into a store anymore and buy a bed and drive away with it in very many places. So I spent a few hours running around looking for a bed to take care of someone...



For Christ's sake, I had enough in donation fund to buy Donna's little two year old daughter her own bed. She was still sleeping with her mom. Donna works full time, and a good nights sleep is really needed, so a "simple thing" like a bed really goes a long way.



I was able to find Donna through one of my contacts who performs home visits. She's a member of the growing population of working poor in America. Although she works hard and tries her best it's just not enough any more. There is always something coming up, always a decision to make, something needs to be purchased and someone or something always has to do without. So Donna's gave up her own comfort because she couldn't buy a bed for her daughter.



That is sacrifice. Hard as she tried, it just isn't enough.



There is an myth that the Albatross pierced it's breast and fed their y0ung with the blood. It was the iconic image of self-sacrifice, and as such the early church picked up on it and used to to explain the substitutionary love of Christ's sacrifice. He gave up His live and was pierced, He fed us with His blood.



So we, as followers of Christ, are called to pierced ourselves for those who are crying out for food...



Not just a little pin-prick, but a real piercing...



So, for Christ's sake, and to help out Donna's daughter, I chased down a brand-new twin box spring/mattress and frame, a set of girlie sheets, a new pillow, and pink side bar so she wouldn't roll out in her sleep. I took a bit of work to get everything, to get the funds, to find the person, but Jesus did a bit of work for me...



...did God work in the midst of this, for Christ's sake?

He did, as always. Donna shared that she was not working yet as she was high risk and had lost two children seven months into her pregancy. So I shared the story of my son Samuel...and then told her of my eight-day-old daughter, Hannah...which means "God is Mercy". I was there I told her, because Christ had given me everything, and I wanted to others to feel His presence.



So for Christ's sake, God led me to a woman to bring a bed for her daughter, share a story like hers, and talk about Restoration.

And all simply because I went furniture shopping, for Christ's sake!