Savior?
I have a good friend and mentor. He is a very successful real estate developer. His brother is a successful surgeon. His other brother retired as a successful investment manager. It is a family of success. My friend has two sons - one is full-time staff with Young Life. The other son went to medical school and is practicing in Augusta, GA. His name is Grant. Grant could have written his own check but instead he chose to give up lucrative medical practice in exchange for a life of service. He started an inner city clinic in Augusta. His patients aren't glamorous - there is no insurance, there is very little commerce at all with this practice. It is a life of service. Grant told me one time that a man questioned him on this choice and told him, "Grant, you will poor..." and Grant said, "Yep, for the next forty years but I am thinking eternity and when you think eternity, forty years is a blink of an eye." Grant has it figured out and God is using him in a mighty way.

Read this below from his website...
Patient 2 – A kind inner city man with just your basic medical problems of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. He says everything is fine except…then he points to his head. "I don't trust nobody doctor." He tells a tale of sitting in his chair all night long and looking out his blinds every time he hears a noise. He stands alone at the bus stop. He walks alone and turns around if anyone is behind him to make sure he is not being followed. He is big and intimidating but has become imprisoned mentally. His wife passed away over 20 years ago and his son is in Iraq. "I don't trust nobody doctor," he repeats again and again.

We pray for his tormented paranoid mind that has imprisoned him. After prayer, the man gets ready to leave and then nervously speaks "Doctor…. one more thing…" I don't have time for ‘one more things.’ "There was an old lady out front who couldn't pay her co-pay. What's going to happen to her?" I inform him that people have to pay a little bit to be seen. It teaches them responsibility or something. "Well she said she could pay in a couple of weeks, but I don't know how she will be able to – Do you mind ….. I mean ….. Can I pay her co-pay?"

I have never seen a borderline paranoid schizophrenic reach out and care for a stranger like this man. I walked back in a closed exam room and wept. Is a president really going to change the world or will it be you and me and my paranoid friend. Has Christ not called us to this time and place to build His Kingdom and love His people? Are we going to change the world in the ballot box and then go home and wait for it to happen? We are his ambassadors, to build his kingdom, love a neighbor, serve the poor, and die to self.

Wow. What a story. What a shame...that more of us don't think this way. I fear America has lost this spirit and we have become a nation of people who expect the government to fix all of our problems. I fear we have become Christians who'd rather write a check to the church or to the Christian relief organization than we would roll up our own sleeves and do get dirty helping folks that are hurting. I'm convicted.

Our nation is about to be sadly disappointed when President Obama doesn't fix all their problems. When he doesn't pay off their debts. When he doesn't make everything "fair" or "right". He can't. There is only one, "The One" and it isn't Obama. It is Christ. Only in Him will the crooked be made straight. Only in Him can we be complete. Only in Him can wrongs be truly righted.

I'm thankful for my friend Grant. He is an inspiration to us all. Earthly poor - Eternally rich.

Soar!