This week, like none other, is a time to tell someone, “Thank you.”
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to this edition of Joni and Friends, where I want to thank my friend, Don. And there’s a special reason why. Don is a retired contractor, and this man is always looking for ways to serve and bring joy to others. For instance, let me give you an example.
I live in southern California, as you know, where orange trees grow everywhere, right? I’m not talking about large orange groves that harvest the fruit; we all know that, I mean, up and down any given street in any neighborhood, there’s bound to be orange trees growing in someone’s front yard or backyard. Now, most people pick a few oranges off their trees when they ripen, but it’s not unusual to see scores of beautiful, plump, ripe oranges just fallen off the trees and lying around on the grass… or they roll in the gutter or they get eaten by squirrels (and other furry critters I will not mention). The fact is, most people don’t make a big deal about their oranges, but Don does.
And he came up with this idea. In the morning he hops in his truck and goes up and down streets, knocking on the doors of strangers, even, and asking them if they'd like him to pick up all those spare oranges on their front yards. Most people don’t seem to mind, and within a couple of hours, this guy’s got a truck full of big, fresh oranges. Then it is home where he spreads them all out on a big, long table, where they get a good hosing down with fresh water. After lunch time, Don lines up about 20 clean half-gallon milk jugs, gets two juicers revved up, and gets busy squeezing fresh orange juice with plenty of pulp. Coolers packed with fresh ice hold the jugs and the afternoon will find him delivering to the door his fresh orange juice – he delivers to friends in need, elderly people, and, well… he delivers orange juice to me. I call him the Orange Juice Man.
There were plenty of times during chemotherapy recently when I felt so dried out, so thirsty, but “ah,” in the middle of the night when I felt parched, I’d take a long, cool drink of Don’s orange juice. More than a few times I thought of Matthew 25 where Jesus said, “If you give a drink to the thirsty, you have inasmuch served Him.” That’s Don’s ministry – it’s a ministry in the name of Jesus – he’s giving a drink to the thirsty – that’s me. And sure, it takes time, and yes, it takes time, and yes, it means knocking on the doors of strangers, but he has in mind to honor God by serving others; especially others like me with special needs, the “least of the brethren,” as the Bible puts it. Friend, this proves there are all sorts of creative ways to take what is wasted and make something wonderful out of it. To put to use what others are happy to throw away. And to do so with an eye to God’s glory.
So on this Thanksgiving week, I thank my friend Don for his uniquely creative way of serving others. His is a thankful heart in a world of hurt and I applaud Jesus in him this week. To inspire you to showcase the love of Christ with a thankful heart, I’d like to give you a little booklet – something I also gave Don – a booklet entitled “A Thankful Heart in a World of Hurt.” It’s free and it’s yours just by visiting our radio page at joniandfriends.org. Again, just go online to joniandfriends.org and click right on our radio page where you’ll see this week’s special offer. By the way, next time you pass by the frozen stuff in the grocery freezer and spend a little extra for the fresh squeezed orange juice, lift your glass to my friend Don and bless the Lord for stirring the hearts of people like him… people who care for the least of the brethren.
See what we’ve got going on today at joniandfriends.org. Until next time, thanks for listening to Joni and Friends.
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