July 16

Beloved of Good Shepherd,

Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!

There is a sadness upon the church this afternoon as we’ve buried one of our beloved members, Mike Witty, who died unexpectedly in his mid 50’s. For many of us that feels pretty young. Mike always seemed to have a spring in his step, he loved people, all people, and all who knew him experienced him to be fundamentally loving and friendly. Many of his friends said of him, “He was always my favorite.” He embodied the buoyancy of kindness. That is, he possessed a lightness that made you think, “This guy is nearly floating along as he goes.” I am convinced that this is because he had the love of Jesus in his heart. Therefore, his heart generated love and kindness which he chose not to hoard and keep to himself, rather he gave the grace that inhabited him away to whoever was right in front of him. That’s the fundamental Christian move! Receive God’s grace and love and then give it away.

You are just like Mike. That is you are built to receive the abundance of God’s love, let it grow in your heart, then let it loose in the world. It’s easy to get heavy with all the messy details of life. There is a better way. Lighten up. Love more. Be unusually kind. Let your heart be a generator of grace, then give that grace away.  This is the way of Jesus, the way of love.

Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!

Love is all, 

Hendree+