Today, which would have been Maggie Lee’s 13th birthday, is Maggie Lee For Good day. It is a day to do one good deed for someone. You can learn more about how it started at the Maggieleeforgood site as well as in this morning's Shreveport Times article by Adam Keoloha Causey .
The idea is
that today we will partner with
God in turning good out of the bad and tragic accident involving our youth
group and Maggie Lee on July 12. I give some explanation for this in my sermon (Dreaming of Redemption) from this past Sunday (video is on this blog). Jesus taught (Matthew 5:13-14) his disciples that they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world, calling them to make a difference in their world.
13 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
He reminded them of their nature to be a partner with God to bring and preserve good in their world and to allow God to shine in and through them, dispelling the darkness of the world. They were to let their light shine, allowing their good deeds to show and give glory to God. I had the awesome opportunity of getting to have conversations about this with Maggie Lee when she came to me when she was 7 to let me know she had invited Jesus to be her Savior and Lord. As her Pastor, I was able to baptize her, reminding her of these very same words from Jesus. She took them seriously and launched a life of salt and light.
Today is a great day to let our good deeds show; to do things that make this world a better place; to help answer the prayer of Jesus for the Kingdom to come in this world as it is in Heaven. This is our way of joining up with God to bring good out of a horrible situation. I cannot begin to imagine why the accident happened and why Maggie Lee died and I certainly don't believe God caused it. What I do know and can see is how God has been at work to bring good out of it. 17, 800 people doing good things is great evidence of that.
Some ways to keep up with what is happening today:
- If you are on Twitter (its free and easy if you are not), search for maggieleeforgood or follow me at jchensonsr or visit here
- Read posts on jinnyhenson or jchensonsr on Facebook
- Atttend tonight's Maggie Lee for Good party at FBC, Shreveport Parlor, come and go from 5-7 pm
