Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Tuesday, March 25

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.
1 Peter 4:10
A couple of years ago, my dear friend Joanne Blair said she “wanted to talk to me”. I immediately thought “oh no, what am I in for now?”, but I decided to go ahead and meet with her. Joanne told me that there was a new ministry taking shape here at FPC that would partner members with challenged children. This ministry has since evolved into what we know as AAIM (All Abilities Inclusion Ministry). Joanne told me I would be a “perfect” candidate; I was doubtful. As many of you know, Joanne is very persuasive and I decided to give it a try.
Fast forward to today, and I can tell you that there is something very special happening with this ministry. The opportunity to buddy up with these awesome kids has been so rewarding; I am learning a lot, mostly how to live in the moment and be flexible (very hard for a planner and structured personality!) As so often happens in life, I feel that I gain so much more than I give. There is nothing like a big bear hug from one of our kids, or finally receiving a big grin from a reluctant participant (after a year!) I invite you to explore this ministry, and see what love and caring can accomplish on a Sunday morning.

Prayer: Loving Father, help us to remember that is it better to serve than to be served, to love freely and often and to care for those who need it most. Amen
Cindy Lanzen (2014)

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