My Brother's Keeper

With the new year, I've been thinking a lot on what is most important for 2016.

Like everybody else, I would love to get in better shape, pay off debt, be 10,000 more organized than I am now, etc.

But that isn't what I mean.

What is MOST important?

And what I kept coming to back to was focusing on loving God and loving my people with all my heart and all my energy.

I am often guilty of getting bogged down in stress and worry and even in guilt over not being able to do as much as I would like to because of my health.

I realize now that to serve God and my people, they aren't needing me up and ready to go mountain climbing.

They just need me, present and attentive.

As I've been thinking, I am also studying the Torah and came across the familiar passage about Cain and Abel, with Cain denying responsibility for his brother, saying, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

 And the answer is "Yes."

In our selfish society, where it is often every man for himself, I am my brother's keeper. That is what God has put us here for: to serve Him by loving each other deeply and well. Apart from that, our lives are empty, wasted, worthless.

As I had been thinking on those things, the newsletter came from Hueytown First United Methodist Church and, on the front, was a lovely passage written by Pastor Dean:

This year, I pray that I can be a sanctuary for God and others.

And, already, some of my people are facing challenges that I cannot wrap my head around yet:

A dear friend from my home church and high school has learned that her husband and her son have cancer. I cannot begin to understand how overwhelmed she is feeling now. And I don't know what to do.

But I do know Who to go to.

Please join me in prayer for the Granberry family. They are walking through a very difficult season.

And let's all go and love our people well this week and always.