Wednesday, September 14, 2016

September 14: One Small Act


The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make the Lord’s face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up the Lord’s countenance upon you, and give you peace. - Numbers 6:24-26

There is nothing like a smile. When we are afraid or hurt, and we see someone we love and see them smile at us, it is hard not to smile back! God reminds us that God’s presence is always there, smiling at us, being kind to us. But sometimes, when we are afraid, or when we have been hurt, our first thought is to fight back, to hurt back. But God reminds us that the power of a smile, the power of kindness, and the power of love can help us not to hurt others, and remind us that God is with us. One smile, one kind word, one act of kindness can be the beginning of peace. Like ripples in the water when we throw in one small stone, your act of kindness can help bring peace can reach many other people. When we smile, when we are kind, even through our tears, through our fear, we help other people to feel God’s love and peace. And we feel better, too! It is not always easy, but God is there, shining God’s face upon us, smiling to let us know God is with us. You can start the ripples of peace in the world with just one smile, one act of kindness!

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Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens is the Senior Minister at First Christian Church of Downers Grove, IL. She is excited by the church’s heart for mission and its focus on families and children. FCCDG serves children locally through the PADS homeless ministry, and with an annual back-to-school fair, serving nearly 700 each year with backpacks, school supplies, health education and screenings, haircuts, food, games and prizes. The church also supports an orphanage and camp in Belarus with an annual giving campaign, supporting 25-30 children in camp each year. Terri is also the Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Divinity School, and is an alumna of the Divinity School, and of the Disciples Divinity House in Chicago. She serves on the boards of HELM and Christian Theological Seminary. She and her husband of 29 years, Walter, have an adult son, Mitchell.
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A Little More… One Good Deed by Terri Fields - www.amazon.com/One-Good-Deed-Terri-Fields/dp/1467734799

Our 2016 prayer vigil theme is Helping Our Children Heal from Violence. For more resources visit  disciplesjustice4children.org and docfamiliesandchildren.org. 


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