"The memory of the righteous will be a blessing..." Proverbs 10:7
I had the chance to have lunch today with one of the most amazing women I know. When I read this verse this morning and then sat with my dear friend Kristi at lunch a few hours later, I thought, wow, this is a woman who knows all about how true this verse really is. You see, Kristi lost her husband Billy 4 years ago through a motorcycle accident. As a young widow, she knows what it's like to walk through the deepest pit of pain, grief, & loneliness, but yet, she didn't get stuck there...over time, she MOVED FORWARD, she was determined to carry on the work & ministry that God had called their lives to, even though He had taken Billy home much sooner than they had ever expected. Billy is still very much "alive" here too, even in our home, we talk of him frequently, we laugh at so many "Billy" stories (if you knew him, you know what I mean!) - his memory is living on through the lives of so many people he touched during his years on this earth. He was an evangelist in every sense of the word, he lived it, he breathed it, he was called by God to proclaim His Word & that's what he did WHEREVER he was! The memory of Billy Hobbs will always be a BLESSING to our lives.
But, there's more...the great thing is this - because Kristi had the heart to continue on the ministry that God had called them to and that Billy had helped to begin in 2002, Alamo City Mercy Foundation has just completed their first orphanage in Kenya, Africa. They are staffed & now ready to receive 36 orphan children, ages 3 - 7! These children were often referred to by others as "chokoras," children of the dirt, but where some saw "dirt," Billy & Kristi saw HOPE. The memory of Billy Hobbs is now a blessing extending even to the lives of these precious children that God has not forgotten, though many others had. Through work in Africa, Brazil, India, Turkey, and now even Iran, Kristi is continuing on in the ministry of proclaiming Christ to people who are hurting, to those who need to know HIM, encouraging other believers who are literally persecuted in their own countries because of their faith in Jesus Christ. If you're interested in learning more about how to volunteer, pray for, or support this great ministry of Mercy Foundation, go to http://www.alamocitymercyfoundation.org/.
I recently heard a quote that said something like this..."Seek not to have your name written in stone, but seek to have your name written on people's hearts." Billy Hobbs is a name remembered by so many people all over the world, just as this verse says, his "memory is a blessing." But more importantly, because of his faithfulness & obedience to God, the name of JESUS has been written across many, many hearts.
And, because of Kristi's boldness for Christ & faithfulness to continue on, many others, like myself, are also challenged to remember to be MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THINGS OF ETERNAL VALUE, rather than only the temporary things that can seem to so easily consume our days. Praying that God will show us today a specific way that we can be a BLESSING in the life of someone else - that we can look past ourselves and our own needs or wants and begin to ponder how WE would want to be remembered in this life. Love you Kristi...love you friends, have a blessed day!
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