See now that I, I am He, and beside me there is no other god. It is I who deal death and life; when I have struck it is I who heal.
When I lived in North Dakota in the 70’s the state suffered from locust one summer and the next summer it was frogs. The frogs and the locust would cover the highways and small country roads that I traveled. I had a small Volkswagen that was one of my favorite cars. I loved the land and the people. The roads were a mess in those years.
One thing I realized quickly that God was in charge of this wild country. One thing I noticed in a small town named Hatton, ND. I noticed how nice the people were. Not that in other cities they were also nice, but the sense of community and care impressed me and it came to light in a local nursing home.
The residences of the home were local farmers, shop keepers, teachers and businesspeople. The residents were there because they could no longer care for themselves. They had to depend on others. Who were the others? Because this was a local small town the others were their sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters. They were community! They were family! When they cooked food, they did it for grandpa or grandma or uncle or aunt. They did it as family. The priests and ministers were from North Dakota and were their sons and daughters in the case of religious.
When I moved to Florida nursing homes there were much different. There was community but it was not the intense community of Hatton, North Dakota. It was there in a different form. My Great Aunt Alice was the light of the nursing home she was at. She couldn’t come to my wedding, but she got the pictures and the wedding flowers. She was the unofficial title of Miss Congeniality. She was a good Baptist and loved to talk and play Bingo. Yes, I visited often.
‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behavior. I tell you solemnly, there are some of these standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.’ The kingdom of God is near to us who look. How we treat the weak and poor is how we will be judged. We need to be a community that cares and loves others. You can fight or argue with someone and still love them and care for them. Remember God placed them on Earth for you to take care of. You don’t have to like them. Just love them as God loves them.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Pope Leo XIV. Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for those in Hospice. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. The impossible could and can happen. (Saint Rita) Never deny God! Pray for justice for all victims of human trafficking and immigrants! Pray for justice for our President and all government officials! Pray for Peace!
