Ryan Leads the Way (#304 of 365+)

“Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!” (Philippians 4:1)

Joni and the apostle Paul agree: People are our “joy and crown.” Pouring out
myself—giving from my time, talent, and treasure—to fill the void in someone else’s life is the best kind of investment I can ever make. It will pay eternal dividends.

Ryan Mazza is the son of Doug Mazza, President of Joni & Friends International Disability Center. He is paralyzed, mentally challenged, and blind, yet his father says Ryan has influenced his spiritual walk more than any other person. He loves to listen to his father speak, especially if he’s reading aloud from the Bible, so sometimes he will even refuse food until the nurses locate and bring his father to his bedside. If you look at Ryan with your spiritual eyes you won’t see disability and weakness but rather a great man of God with the gift of teaching. He is literally instructing everyone around him by his example how to 1) Rely on the Lord every day for everything and 2) Make relationships a priority.

I have my eye on a book by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy called In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving. They’re the couple who took in and raised a homeless teenage boy from the streets of Memphis who eventually graduated from college and became a professional NFL player. The movie The Blind Side was based on the story of Michael Oher and the Tuohy family. They insist it was a split-second decision to give Michael a ride and a meal that first Thanksgiving. No underlying motives, no cost/benefit analysis. No criminal background check, and no 24-hour cooling-off period. Theirs was an immediate response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, something they had been in the habit of doing for many years. Their obedience changed their lives forever and honored their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10)

Lord, help me to help someone else today. No matter the difficulty or the inconvenience of the task, help me to see every person as “my joy” and “my crown.” May I serve them with love from the heart. Amen.