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Prayer Needs > Week of 12/22/09
From the Desk of Jill Keenon, Operations Director:
In this season of Christmas we think of Jesus as the new born baby, soon to die and become our Salvation, which is the point of the gospel "the good news." Jesus is the reason for the season. But, is it OK to think about other people at this time of the year? There are some other people in His earthly life affected differently by His birth and death.
Yes, His parents and extended family who we hear about often as well. But, how often do we hear about his siblings? A few mentions of them. Some theologians think He only had cousins but the Bible is pretty clear he had brothers and sisters, who came after His birth.
What was their life like? I am writing fiction, extrapolation, and conjecture from the little we know for the rest of this missive. Jesus had several siblings, step siblings actually, who must have heard all the incredible stories of His escapades, miracles, and accomplishments. Did they witness many of these times? I'll bet they were there.
How did they receive these stories? Did they all believe? How did they respond to all the attention He got and what was it like to play with the most humble, progressively all knowing and perfect human being? Did they respond to His teaching? Did He allow them to suffer poor self esteem, self doubt, and the pain of being related to a despised big brother? How did they feel about the suffering He endured for three agonizing years at the hand of their neighbors, priests and holy men?
You might be able to answer some of those questions! Yes, if you are really following and believing in Jesus and identify with His birth and death you will suffer. My children have lived with hundreds of teens and young adults that have painfully suffered physical, mental abuse, physical handicaps and have been homeless. They suffered seeing so many in our family with worse maladies than just low self esteem. My children have suffered for Jesus in innumerable ways, many corresponding to what Jesus' siblings must have suffered. But they did not have the privilege of living with the perfect God!
Do you see the similarities? The young teens and adults that live with us are not Jesus but they cause suffering for the entire family. That suffering is a gift! God has chosen us all to suffer. Our children are chosen to suffer an extra measure as so many missionary children do.
Please, pray for our children and our grandchildren. They have been adopted and born into two very strange families: God's family and the Keenon family.
1. Please pray for all of our foster teens (4) at the Quicks and the young adults (4) at our home. This is a particularly tough time of the year. They are all thinking about their family traditions and are missing those as well as relatives who they are estranged from.
2. Nancy came to stay with us. She became so inebriated and high that she gave away her car and had delusions. We will be helping her find a program to change some of these habit and diagnose her other needs.
3. Pray for Carmen as she and the children work through the holidays with her family split up and her and the children recovering from the attack last month.
4. Jenn is at her parents in Ohio. She loves them, but it is stressful to be away from her own space here and the potential for seizures away from her home here.
5. Jill's Mom, Gail, will be staying at the rehabilitation home in Rolling Meadows for the foreseeable future. Financial problems have arisen. Pray for a suitable solution.
6. Money is short and bills come due. ODFT needs cash, stocks, commodities, endowments, inheritance and any other form of donation. Several faithful donors have passed away or retired to fixed incomes as well as two fundraising endeavors normally taking place at this time of the year have ended. Please help!
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In Christ's Service for the Community,
Paul & Jill Keenon
Open Door for Teens, Inc.
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