Good evening, everyone. I hope this message finds you well as the sun sets on this blessed Sunday.
I’m writing this a little later than usual today. My day was spent in the service of family, looking after my uncles. We spent most of the day store shopping, getting them the things they wanted and needed. It was a lesson in practical blessings, pooling our money and using coupons to make every dollar stretch. It’s in these simple, unglamorous moments that we often find the truest expression of our faith. It reminds me that being a servant of God doesn't always happen in a church pew or during a quiet moment of prayer; sometimes, it happens in the aisles of a grocery store.
This kind of day brings to mind one of the most powerful stories Jesus ever told—the parable of the Good Samaritan. When a man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to love God and to "love your neighbor as yourself." But the man, wanting to justify himself, asked, "And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus’s story about the Samaritan who stopped to help a wounded man—after others had passed him by—was the answer. The Samaritan didn't ask if the man was deserving. He didn't check his own schedule. He saw a need, felt compassion, and acted on it, sacrificing his own time and resources to care for a stranger.
Our scripture for this evening comes from the heart of that lesson:
"But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him." Luke 10:33-34 (NIV)
Being a servant of God is about having the heart of that Samaritan. It’s about seeing the person in front of you—be it a family member who needs groceries, a friend who needs a listening ear, or a stranger in need of help—and choosing to be their "neighbor." It’s about pouring out our own "oil and wine," whatever that may look like in our own lives. Today, for me, it looked like a shopping cart and a handful of coupons. For you, it might look completely different. The beauty is that God can use any act of service, no matter how small it seems, to show His love to the world.
I doubt I'll be able to get back on here tonight, but I am still writing offline and will keep posting new adventures when I can. Until next time, have a wonderful and peaceful evening.
God bless you all.
Yours for now, Captain Hedges
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