Have you ever received that prompting — you know, the one where you are prompted to do something out of your comfort zone? A group of men who had been studying together for over 15 years felt this prompt.
A few years ago, one of the men suggested they look for a way to serve their community. Not long after, an opportunity arose. One of the men talked with an elderly church member who mentioned his need for help cutting firewood to heat his home. He was running low and had no other source of heat that winter. The group responded to that prompting one Sunday morning and went to work splitting and stacking enough wood to keep him warm through the winter.
As it turned out, one of his neighbors had about a semi-truck load of logs that needed to be cut and split. The men ended up cutting over 20 cords of wood that they then shared with members of their church. The amazing thing was, another neighbor needed help cutting down a few trees, and he wanted to give the wood to our elderly member. All this kept the group busy through fall 2020, and as a result, several families were helped with the response to a single prompting!
In February 2021, a big ice storm caused devastation in the same neighborhood and the neighbors remembered the elderly gentleman knew some guys. The group went to work from one neighbor to the next clearing, cutting and splitting downed trees — more than 25 trailer loads that they happily donated to the elderly church member.
Some neighbors were so grateful they asked if they could pay the men, but they said no. But the neighbors kept offering to pay, so the men suggested they donate to the Livingston Foundation 4 Education at Livingstone Adventist Academy. Two of the men who had been volunteering serve on the board of LF4E.
This outreach ministry is generously self-funded by the group of men who do it. They don’t ask for donations, but sometimes those they help want to give back. These men are paying it forward to help students at Livingstone Adventist Academy, who cannot afford to attend without financial help, by handing out brochures and donation envelopes for LF4E. Donations with notes about these men showing God’s love and kindness have already been given.
When the group completes a project, the Lord presents new opportunities. They commented, “Projects feel like a business encounter when we start because we are strangers to many that we serve, and they are not completely sure how it will go. But by the end, the warmth, appreciation and connection we have with them is a blessing for both of us, and we think of them as friends. If we are willing to be tools, God is more than willing to use us.”
