Testimony Tuesday - A thought from a heroine

At a conference two years ago, this quote from Mother Teresa blew me away:

"A child is a gift of God. If you do not want him, give him to me."

It still does. Despite this quotation being specifically in the context of abortion, there is a broader challenge in there is for all of us, as sons and daughters of God. Do we treat people with the love and respect due to them because they were created by and are loved by God? Do we 'throw people away'? Do we dismiss them?

Or do we have those loving arms...'give him to me'?

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see,that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.” Jesus - speaking about himself and fulfilling prophecy from Scripture about the Messiah - Luke 4:18-19

That same Spirit lives within us because Jesus died for us and we believe. So are we?

Are we:

Proclaiming that captives will be released?
Proclaiming that the blind will see?
Proclaiming that the oppressed will be set free?
Proclaiming that the time of the Lord's favour has come?

Mother Teresa said 'If you don't want him, give him to me'. Jesus says 'Come to Me, captive, blind one, oppressed one.' 'Come to Me, hungry one, naked one, homeless one, crippled one, outcast, unwanted, unloved, uncared-for, burden-to-society, shunned one. Come.'

Mother Teresa, accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 said:

I choose the poverty of our poor people. But I am grateful to receive [the Nobel] in the name of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared-for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone.

This morning I leave the following song phrases for you to ponder along with Mother Teresa's quoted words and Jesus purpose as He said it in Luke 4. Click through to the link to hear the songs and ask God what your
purpose is within His plan. Who should you be opening your arms to...'If you don't want him, give him to me.'

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

~ Tim Hughes - God of Justice from album Holding Nothing Back

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

~ Casting Crowns - If We are the Body from album Casting Crowns