No there is not a typo. I seven (7) year old boy expressed a very prophetic heart longing to house people in need, and it was not the first time! John Ross has been making this type of requests from his 4th birthday.
- For his 4th birthday he collected bedding and food for homeless children and their adults;
- His 5th birthday it was toys for a family of 9 who lost everything in a fire;
- His 6th birthday his family and church community collected 328 toys and additional cash donations for the children at Arnold Palmer Hospital. Not realizing he himself would be admitted for testing;
- In April 2012 he raised over $2,400 for the Epilepsy Association of Central Florida; and
- For his 7th birthday his family and church community did a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Brevard County, Inc. because he say, "everybody needs a home". John Ross raised $3,315.30 that will go to fulfilling Habitat's vision of "A world where everyone has a decent place to live."
On the Pentecost Sunday Jesus greats his disciples with "Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Jn 20:21-22 NIV) Meeting John Ross I have been intimately reminded of my identity in Christ. I was baptized as an infant receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit, claimed into the family of God, and anointed priest, prophet, and king. Seems I spent many of my 50+ years forgetting and deaf to the working of the Holy Spirit within me.
"People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'" (Lk 18:15-16 NIV) "And he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 18:3 NIV) I believe John Ross in his innocence can clearly hear the voice of the Spirit within and he willingly shares what he hears.
My still deeper appreciation of this experience is little prophet has captured the hearts and imagination of his parents and his church community. What seems to be no big deal to John Ross, who is just obediently following the whispers of his heart, in a eye opener for the adults of his community, North Merritt Island United Methodist Church. "Each year these events keep getting bigger and bigger," was the mantra repeated by several of the adult participants who were willingly sharing their gifts to bring John Ross' vision to reality.
I have been called to rediscover the innocent child within myself, by John Ross. The child that remains open enough to hear the whispers of the Spirit that has always lived within me, and I pray that I may respond obediently to the call as innocently as my new friend John Ross.
Happy Birthday to an Angel Among Us.
"People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'" (Lk 18:15-16 NIV) "And he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 18:3 NIV) I believe John Ross in his innocence can clearly hear the voice of the Spirit within and he willingly shares what he hears.
My still deeper appreciation of this experience is little prophet has captured the hearts and imagination of his parents and his church community. What seems to be no big deal to John Ross, who is just obediently following the whispers of his heart, in a eye opener for the adults of his community, North Merritt Island United Methodist Church. "Each year these events keep getting bigger and bigger," was the mantra repeated by several of the adult participants who were willingly sharing their gifts to bring John Ross' vision to reality.
I have been called to rediscover the innocent child within myself, by John Ross. The child that remains open enough to hear the whispers of the Spirit that has always lived within me, and I pray that I may respond obediently to the call as innocently as my new friend John Ross.
Happy Birthday to an Angel Among Us.
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