«This is the day the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.»

Psalm 118:24

 

A month of Sundays is a long time. But a month (or more) of Saturdays seems absolutely endless! If you don’t have a job which requires working on Saturdays, there are hundreds of things to do, pursuits too numerous to mention. Usually, people look forward to Saturday as a day they don’t have to hurry, time to spend with family, putter around the house, work on your hobby, or finish that project. Ah yes—Saturday, what could be better than to relax and not leave home?

Tick tock, sort your socks, says the clock. You watch the movie Ground Hog Day for the third time. The news goes on and on like a broken record. Completely read out, and the library locked. Maybe a walk in the woods would help but you just came back from one. At least tomorrow is Sunday, you can worship with other Christians—but with churches closed, you won’t be. Tired of doing nothing, because you cannot stop to rest, your thoughts turn to the children of Israel who, fed up with manna and quail, wail “Lord, what I’d give for a kosher hot dog.” Identifying with them, in addition to being bored, you feel a bit guilty because of your own lack of appreciation.

Beyond the mask: Now is a perfect opportunity for Gift of Life (GoL) pro-life counselors to evangelize as they provide pregnancy and family counseling. The offices themselves are closed, but counselors continue work by phone or online (Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, Viber). Currently counselors are receiving more calls than ever from those who need spiritual and psychological support, an endless list of problems. Yet, only one Solver, one Doctor whose truth is found in a faultless life manual—the Bible.

As for the other part of GoL, the quarantine has closed Medical Clinic on Wheels (MCOW). Private clinics and dentists are forbidden to work at this time. For the first time in twenty-eight years MCOW was unable to begin its traveling season. Man proposes, God disposes. God’s plan was different from our plan. But soon, our GoL deaconess/evangelist will have plenty of opportunities to teach about soundness of body and soul, about salvation and eternal life. One of the Multi Language Publication booklets, “God’s Plan for the World,” translated to Ukrainian and printed in Ukraine, is an effective evangelism tool, especially when people are afraid.

Left with unending Saturdays and unpleasant idleness, there’s still a lot to do. Before his crucifixion, in his high priestly prayer, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12. How could that be? Jesus fed thousands! But the church would eventually feed millions. Jesus healed hundreds, but church charities have treated many more. Jesus raised the dead! We haven’t done that yet, but the church has prevented many deaths from happening in the first place. You who are reading this are helping to do “greater things than Jesus did.”

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for giving us strength and health to do the work you provide for us and for opportunities to serve you. Help us to be fully appreciative even when our plans are disrupted. Thank you for those who turn these opportunities into reality by supporting GoL with prayer and finances. Amen.

Nicholas and Kerry Laper with Roman and Nadiya Khodzinskyi

Gift of Life staff meeting via Zoom

Ukrainian Volunteer