Caring is contagious. It’s much like the principle of reaping and sowing: sowing kindness reaps more kindness. John Clifton from Somebody Cares St. Augustine recently shared an example.
“Late in 2007, we were made aware of a need: a 68-year-old polio victim and now a cancer patient had to shower outside using the garden hose because he could no longer get into the tubs in his mobile home. When we met with Mr. Lewis we knew that we had to help, what we didn’t know was how. ”
The estimate for gutting his bathroom and building a handicap accessible bathroom for him was in the thousands of dollars. A local plumber agreed to do the plumbing work and Somebody Cares volunteers agreed to provide the manual labor, but this still left the financial need for the cost of materials. “Somebody Cares St. Augustine had some funds but not nearly enough, John says, “and our partners at the Council on Aging were willing to also help with some of the cost of materials. We stepped out in faith and started this project.
After several months, Mr. Lewis had a beautiful new bathroom with an open shower with multiple shower heads, a toilet that was the proper height, and a sink he could roll under and a tilted mirror.
“Mr. Lewis was very grateful and told us if there was anything he could ever do to help us he would.” Recently, he was given an opportunity to keep that promise after he was blessed with a new power chair.
“He called us and said he wanted to donate his other one–still in perfect working condition–to us. John notified the SC St. Augustine network that a power chair was available for someone in need, and it turned out that Pastor Allan Penill of New Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church had a member of his congregation with just such a need! “We picked up the chair from Mr. Lewis and delivered it to New Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, John said.
Somebody Cares founder Doug Stringer received an email recently with a similar message from a man we’ll call Ted. “About 25 years ago, Ted recalled in his email to Doug, “you walked into the bar of a hotel and ministered to me. I was and had been a Christian, but weak as milk for 20 years. About a year later my wife talked me into going to a revival, and there you were again!
Ted said that because Doug cared enough to sow into his life all those years ago, he is now serving God 110%, is involved in prison ministry, and goes on mission trips. “I never new serving God could be so much fun!
“I just wanted you to know that because you listened to our Lord Jesus and walked into a bar as bold as a lion, you really had an influence in my life.
As John Clifton says, “When we continue to serve the needs of the less fortunate in our midst, the Somebody Cares St. Augustine’s BEE CARETAGIOUS motto becomes more than a theme. And just as we see every day in lives of people like Ted and Mr. Lewis, every time you partner with Somebody Cares in giving, prayer, and action, your seeds go far beyond meeting the immediate need to impact other lives months and even years down the road. Give a gift today! Thank you for caring!
“My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.” 1 John 3:18