Taking care of the Little, Lost and Least.

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Based on the Good Samaritan story, the focus is on the willingness to take a detour when an opportunity to help someone in need arises. On September 8th, we are planning a specific time to get out and do specific missions among and with our neighbors. But what about those times when someone in need crosses your path and you are running late, or already weary from your day, or any number of excuses we make to justify walking on by? Is our choice affected by who or what kind of person is in need of help? In vs. 29, the lawyer has a follow-up question: “Who is my neighbor?” How do we answer that question? Does our answer justify the choices we make and the risks we are willing to take to actually take a detour in order to actually live as Jesus is calling us to live? Or, are we content enough in our walk to limit our “Following Jesus” to “only when it is convenient, safe and doesn’t cost us anything?

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We depend on many things that we think makes us stronger or gives us more control However, our faith in God seems to decrease as we loose control of things in our life. Everyone has at least one disability (not just talking physical) and usually more that requires them to rely on someone or something else. Many times, this keeps us trapped, unable to move out of our comfort zone and experience the true freedom that God intends for us. We rely on the tangible things rather than have complete faith in God to direct our paths and fill us with delight and joy! What if you were to declare your complete dependence on God? What if you and I let go of our desire to control everything, to know every possible outcome before we move forward. Are we willing and able to be surprised by God? Can we trust the God who knows and wants us to have the desires of our heart or will we cling tightly to the "crutches" in our life that keep us captive.

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