A Truck Driver’s Hands

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading, titled A Truck Driver's Hands, was written by Sheridan Voisey. The news came as a shock. Having already survived prostate cancer, my father had now been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. To complicate matters, my father is my mother's full-time caregiver, attending to her own chronic illnesses. With both parents needing care, there would be some difficult days ahead.

After flying home to be with them, I visited my parents' church one Sunday. There, a man named Helmut approached me, saying he'd like to help. Two days later, Helmut visited our home with a checklist.

You'll need some meals when the chemotherapy starts, he said. I'll arrange a cooking roster. What about the mowing?

I can do that. And what day is your rubbish collected? Helmut was a retired truck driver, but to us, he became an angel. We discovered he often helped others, single mothers, the homeless, the elderly. While believers in Jesus are called to help others, some have a special capacity to do so. The apostle Paul calls it the gift of mercy.

People with this gift spot needs, rally practical assistance, and conserve over time without getting overwhelmed. Moved by the Holy Spirit, they're the hands of the body of Christ, reaching out to touch our wounds. Dad recently had his first day of chemotherapy. Helmut drove him to the hospital.

That night, my parents' fridge was full of meals. God's mercy threw a truck driver's hands. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Romans chapter 12, verses 3 through 8. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously.

If it is to lead, do it diligently. If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Now let's go to God in prayer. Heavenly Father, give us your eyes to see the needs of others, and fill us with your mercy and compassion so that we may serve those in need. May your goodness shine through us to this hurting world, and may we become known as true Christ followers in the way that we live. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.