JEFFREY SWAINSTON, CHAPLAIN
P.O. Box 77
Manton, MI 49663​
(616) 405-6921
revjeff82@gmail.com

MAY/JUNE 2024 GRANGE NEWS

​Compassion for the Hurting
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Babe Ruth, one of the most famous baseball players of all time, finished his career in a slump. According to the legendary story, he was ridiculed mercilessly after one game as he made his way back to the dugout.  ​The fans continued to boo and yell obscenities until a little boy jumped the fence and ran to Babe’s side.
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The child threw his arms around Babe’s legs, crying as he fiercely hugged him. Moved by the young boy’s display of affection, Ruth gently lifted the boy up into his arms. As they walked off the field, the man and boy cried together.
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This young boy demonstrated the true nature of compassion, he sympathized with the sorrows of another. His example reminds us that a compassionate man does not stand detached from the sufferings of others. Rather, he steps into the world of the hurting and feels the pain and anguish of the one suffering. And he expresses his compassion through sincere concern, through a listening ear, a shed tear. 

​​The world is full of hurting people, many who are longing for a compassionate friend. Are you willing to be that friend?

​Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
~Romans 12:15~
JULY/AUGUST 2024​ GRANGE NEWS

Blessed to Be a Blessing
A grieving Canadian widower was dining alone in a restaurant for the first time since burying his wife of 43 years. Seated nearby was a young couple who reminded him of the love he and his wife had shared. He quietly gave the restaurant money to cover the couple’s meal and wrote them a note on a napkin. He thanked them for the memories they evoked, related a bit of his own situation, and wished them well in their lives.
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He could have enjoyed the memories alone. He could have stopped by their table and greeted them. But he went a step further, he took money from his pocket to bless a couple of strangers with a meal and encouragement for their lives.
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Opportunities to be a blessing to others are fleeting and should be grasped. Wishing someone well is one thing, taking steps to ensure that they are blessed is another, especially when they have a need that we
can meet. 1 Peter 3:9 says we have been blessed to be a blessing to others.
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Commit yourself now to be a blessing to others today. When the fleeting opportunity appears, you will be ready.

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