Monday; April 29

Last week our church lost one of our long-time members, Clara Hess.  I didn’t have the privilege to know “Miss Clara” as well as did others, but when I posted her passing on our internal social network it was incredible to see the impact that she’d had on people.  In fact, one of the things that was mentioned was how she had knitted tissue box holders for people – many of whom still had these handmade gifts. 
As I thought about Miss Clara’s death I was drawn back to a character of the Bible whom Luke described in this way, “Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.” (Acts 9:36).  When Dorcus died, her friends called on Peter to come to Joppa and showed him the gifts she had made for them.  Touched by their love for Miss Dorcus, Peter raised her from the dead!  What a great gift for such a wonderful lady.
Folks, I cannot raise anyone from the dead, but what I can do is keep the memory of good people alive!  The work done by women like Dorcus and Clara are reminders of the influence good people can have.  They may not be able to make sweeping policy changes that impact a community or have the financial wherewithal to raise a building, but they serve as a reminder of the basic principles of love, decency and honor. 
Is there a Miss Clara in your church or in your life?  If so, allow them to influence your life by the goodness that is in theirs and then pass these qualities on to your children and grandchildren.   Miss Clara will never have a book written about her life, but as long as we have tissue boxes that need to be covered, her acts of goodness and kindness will live on and serve as an inspiration for us.
Think About It!

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