#ElevatedFriday, February 23rd, 2018

Happy #ElevatedFriday! In Little Rock, Arkansas last week, a UPS worker got the blessing he so desperately needed from his co-workers. For over half of the last year, Trenton Lewis, a 21-year-old father, has dutifully awoken well before dawn to make his 5.5 mile commute to work to start his shift at 4 am. However, Trenton has a major disadvantage that most of us take for granted – he does not have a car. Thus, his commute has been a 5.5 mile hike to and from work – every day. Not once did he complain or even mention his predicament to his co-workers; instead, Trenton just did what was necessary to support his family. His co-workers eventually discovered that Trenton was walking over 11 miles per day, and without Trenton’s knowledge, took up a collection to buy him a car. They surprised him with the new set of wheels and the usually stoic Trenton was overwhelmed with emotion and thankfulness.

Throughout Jesus’ life, he was accustomed to drawing great crowds and was obviously very focused on the job he needed to do on earth. One could easily describe him as a hard working and busy man – something to which we all can relate. However Jesus never allowed his work to interfere with his helping of others. On the contrary, he made his work about helping others! Take for instance the Sermon on the Mount. A speech of that magnitude and importance could be relatable to us as that huge client presentation, project, or any other big work event that consumes our focus and energy. We have all been there! But in Matthew 8, it says, ““When [Jesus] came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Can you imagine, immediately after finishing your biggest work project of the year, giving your well-deserved free time to helping someone in need? That is what Jesus and the co-workers of Trenton Lewis did, illustrating a very important principle: Never allow yourself to be too busy to help someone in need. Today, reflect on the generosity and genuine care it took for Jesus to cure the leper after his Sermon on the Mount, and imagine ways that you could do the same in your life.

“When [Jesus] came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” — Matthew 8:1-3

Original Article:

http://bit.ly/2GzPw49