Post-Relief Sale

The 59th Annual Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale is now history. A big thank you to all of those who volunteered or participated in any way. Thank you to those who baked pies and other items, those who donated items, and those who worked during the sale. The Relief Sale was certainly well-attended, and it raised a good amount of money for a worthwhile cause.

I was thinking that this is such a great event where we band together to help those in need in a big way. My encouragement today is let’s take the spirit of this event and the desire to help others, and let’s translate that into the smaller, quieter opportunities that are around us every day. What can you do this week to be especially kind to someone around you? How can you reach a helping hand out to someone who is going through a difficult time? What can you say that would be a pick-me-up to someone who is discouraged? We certainly don’t have to wait until next year’s Relief Sale to do something nice for someone else.

Josanne and I would like to say thank you as well to all who’ve helped us out during her recovery from tendonitis. Thanks for the prayers, cards, flowers, and meals. Josanne still has a way to go, but she is encouraged that she seems to be making good progress. I’ll continue to ask for your grace as I am still helping Josanne get around to her various appointments.

Let me share just a bit of Scripture from the sermon yesterday. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV 2011). The author of Hebrews knew that we need to “meet together” because it’s encouraging and because we can “spur one another on.” Hope to see you next Sunday and invite someone else to come with you!

God bless,

Brian