Emergency Contact Information

I'm sure you've heard it said "It's better to give than receive." It really is true. But be honest. Have you ever given some wonderful thing to someone, gotten nothing in return and then tried to convince yourself that you weren't really disappointed? "Oh well, it 'is' better to give than receive..." I've said that. I have smarted with the sting of selfish disappointment and tried to make it ok with sarcastically saying just that. More than once. But then Jesus decided He was ready to show me what that phrase really meant. It's not a band-aid for hurt feelings. It really is better to give than receive. When you do for others and give out of the overflow of God's love for you, you don't need to receive. The real joy is in the giving! And then, when you're 'truly' not expecting anything in return you suddenly see yourself covered in God's blessings being poured on you! Proverbs 11:25 says, "The one who blessed others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped".

When Jesus decided it was time for me to find a church he led me into one that uses "Love In Action" as a slogan. Go and Tell, Be Jesus, Random Acts of Kindness, Love in Action - meeting the needs of people practically and spiritually. This is not the kind of stuff a spoiled rotten, self-absorbed, selfish one time "daddy's girl" is good at! There would be no sitting on a pretty pew, getting my feel-good message for the week and being on my way. No. If I was going to stick around I was going to have to go out and get dirty for some cause. I would have to talk to some street-person or help someone. "Nobody better ask me for any money", I thought. I really don't want to extend myself in anyway...

But then something started to happen. The more I fell in love with Jesus the more I actually wanted to go out there and do something for someone! It didn't matter who and it didn't matter what. I just needed to go. And go I did. Working alongside my church family I've given without any expectation of receiving. Just giving because Jesus loves me so much that I "can't not".

Last month our church had an entire month of "Compassion Events". We did everything from cook breakfast for homeless people to singing hymns for people with special needs. None of that was any kind of hard work. No hard, physical anything, no danger, no dirt. Just showed up with a little love in my heart for people in need. But there was this one place that was going to separate the men from the boys. Kings Daughters Ministry was a lady's vision coming to life. In time it will be a beautiful center for troubled women and their children. A place to live and grow and learn in a Christian environment. The vision sounded lovely. But at that time the building was a damp, dark, dirty old mill building with rusty metal stuff, stained and leaky ceilings and broken windows. There was heavy stuff to be moved, trucks to be unloaded, hard labor to do. Even walking around the place was physical as it was like a mile from one end to the other. The work was going to be so intense that the lady asked us to sign a release form! She had some volunteers and by goodness she was going to get her 'money's worth' - and if we happened to fall down and break a leg or something, well, that was going to be at our own risk!

I was standing in the office filling out my release form. Name, check. Address and Phone Number, got it. In Case Of Emergency, Please Contact _______________________. And I came up empty. Mom was my usual Emergency Contact Information. But she was sick that day. If I fell down the stairs there was going to be no one to call - I was going to have to manage that on my own. I just stood there, a little caught off guard with that question. And then I felt horribly lonely. How can someone really have no one to contact in case of an emergency? How did I become so alone?! How sad. My feel-good feeling was slipping away. "Um, I don't really have an emergency contact today so I'm just going to leave this part blank", I tried to joke about it. "If I get a concussion, I'll be fine without calling the emergency number!" The lady didn't really get my humor. And let's face it... what was even funny about that?! And then one of the men from my church, Steve McCotter- who was filling out his own form - said, "Put me down".

No one was actually expected to get hurt - the form was just a formality. But let me tell you... having no one to list as an emergency contact is a desperate, horrible feeling. In that moment's time I ran the gammit of the 'what-ifs' and in my mind I went from a day of "Love in Action" to I'm going to catch tetnus from an old rusty cart because I had no one to call for a ride to urgent care and little Matthew would become an orphan. And then in one sentence - the 3 little words, "Put me down" Steve gave me someone to contact in case of emergency. Steve put himself on the hook for me. He accepted the job of springing into action if I were accidentally run over by a fork-lift! As he called out his number to me he inadvertantly offered me a sence of peace, a comfortable feeling, I felt cared about and mostly I no longer felt alone. He volunteered to be in charge of me in the event I couldn't be in charge of myself. How wonderful and selfless. That's a big responsibility to be that emergency go-to for someone. I'm sure he thought nothing of it. But later in the day I was teary-eyed over the thoughts. It was the finest example of "Love in Action". I'll never again take that question on any standard release form for granted. And I'll never again have to worry about it. So in case of emergency, please contact Steve McCotter!

It might not have been a gift wrapped in a pretty package - but while I was giving I received the best blessing - just like Proverbs 11:25 promised.

Having an emergency contact is super important. And if that's all I ever got from church that would be plenty.... but there's more. I'm writing tonight from mom's bedside at the hospital. She's become sicker, still. I should be a basket case, nervous wreck and sad as sad can be. I'm alone here with mom since dad and my brother have passed away and I'm nearly overwhelmed with information, decisions, phone calls. Instead, for this minute anyway, I'm fine. My church family has come to my aid. They have prayed for my mom's health and they have prayed for me - that I have the kind of peace that can only come from God. They have stood with me at my mother's bedside. They've taken care of my sweet son for the last few days and they've loved on him like he was theirs. So many people have offered help to me that I've had to say "Thank you, but there's really nothing else I need". "Well let me know as soon as there is something..." they would respond. A gang of church ladies came to my house the other night and washed my dishes. There is nothing I've needed, not an hour passes that someone hasn't checked in with me. Most importantly - because of these beautiful people I am not alone. I had no idea of the value of a church family. What a blessing! What a beautiful blessing that God has given me! And finally I see the importance of landing in the 'love in action' church!

I could write all night (really all morning - it's nearly 4am). But I'm calling it a night. It won't be long before the room fills with people wanting to help me with something. It's the most awesome dilemma! So I better get some sleep. Good night for now.