Our guest blog comes through the voice of Jeremy Walker. Jeremy Walker is the husband of Lisa and the father of Lydia and Adelaine. He’s a marvelous encourager and is starting to volunteer his great talents for Sparrow’s purposes. You can read more of his musings at http://www.jeremywalker.us
A couple of weeks ago, I heard and read this story, not for the first time. God, as He does through His Word, has been playing this on my heart ever since.
“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me. Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” – John 5:2-9
The scene opens at a pool called Bethesda, which means “House of Mercy“. This would appear to be an appropriate name for the place, considering the crowd that gathered daily around the waters: the blind, the lame and the paralyzed. These people came from all over to this place because they had heard stories of healing that took place in its waters.
And yet, we are introduced to a man who has been in the place for a long time, but has never been able to lower himself into the water at the right time. He has never had any assistance from anyone to help him get to where he needed to be at the time healing supposedly took place. And so, we see that in this place of mercy, there is still heartache and sorrow.
Then Jesus enters the scene.
The first important thing that happens is that Jesus sees the man. Jesus didn’t rush by, giving a sideways glance. Jesus didn’t feel so rushed to get to where He was heading that he missed the opportunity to interact with this man. Jesus was aware of his surroundings and was prepared to interact with those He came into contact with.
The second important action that Jesus takes is that he begins a conversation with the man. As is often the case in the Bible, Jesus asks him a simple question.
The third event occurs after the man tells Jesus his brief tale of woe. Jesus then gives the man exactly what he had hoped for every day that he had entered the colonnade: physical healing. At long last, this man’s pain was alleviated and, following the instructions of Christ, he grabbed his bed and walked off to begin his life anew.
I hear you asking “What does all this have to do with The Sparrow’s Nest?”
Perhaps nothing to you, but let me tell you what it means to me.
There are many frightened, hurting, pregnant young women in our community who are in desperate need of help. We have the data that shows this. We hear the stories that exhibit the reality of this. We also know that there is currently a lack of resources to take care of all of these needs.
They need someone who will give them a helping hand to get to where they need to be in life – yet they find themselves struggling to make it on their own.
They need someone who will take notice of their plight and provide for them exactly what they are seeking – yet they are being turned away because the current rooms are filled to capacity.
These women, isolated and feeling rejected by most of society, are longing for someone to not just see them, but look at them and speak with them – yet they are often judged by others and pushed further into isolation.
This is exactly what The Sparrow’s Nest aims to provide:
– The necessary helping hand.
– The much longed for compassionate conversation.
– A place of Hope.
– A house of Mercy.
How can you help us reach these women and their children?
– By praying that God will provide us with the perfect house and the proper permits.
– By donating your time, money, resources and talents to help build the Nest.
– By sharing the vision of The Sparrow’s Nest with family, friends and colleagues.
““Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” –