A Light on a Hill - Shepherds of Love Ministries

"Lord, You know that I love you." Jesus said. "Take care of my sheep." John 21:16 (NLV)

This weekend I sat in the atrium of my church and donated one-hour to assist Shepherds of Love Ministries receive donations for their efforts to help people and families in need of financial assistance. As I sat there waiting for the first person to walk up and give, I looked at three trees that were setup in front of me. Each tree had cards posted on them with a person’s need. The card described the position the person or family was in, the bills that needed to be paid, and the amount for each bill. There were sadly hundreds. Yet, one card and one moment described the entire ministry for me. The card simply read, “Single-mother recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer having problems paying utilities and medical bills”, it was terrible thinking of the how desperate and hopeless this one person must feel. Here she was fighting cancer, raising children, and trying to make ends meet. $240 would allow her to get through the month. $240 would allow her to focus on the other giants she needed to face in her life. The most amazing part about the story is that the call for help was filled by another man that was facing his third round of chemo in the next few days. He had me read the card to him because his vision was not all that good, he paused and looked at me and said, “I think that is the one I need to take.” So he did and paid for the need on the spot. It was an act of love from one fellow cancer patient to another and another cry for help that had been met by the power of love. I believe this is what Terresa Rountree wanted when she founded Shepherds of Love Ministries. To provide a light of love + hope not just for the people needing assistance, but for those that are giving as well.Terresa and her organization field hundreds of calls a week. These are people like you and me that for one reason or another have fallen through the cracks and circumstances have found them in desperate situations. With the rising cost of food, medicine, and fuel I can only believe the need for Shepherds of Love Ministries will only be that more important for the Oklahoma City Community. They truly are a light on a hill, shining as a beacon of hope for many.