A Simple Gesture

She could have said, “It’s not my job. I don’t get paid for that.” But she didn’t.

Praise God!

The rapid advancement of technology has opened countless new streams of opportunity to engage in ministry and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers. Nowhere is this truer than in the various social media outlets, like Facebook, which is where a member of our Brookfield ministry team saw a Facebook posting from Dee. 

Dee is a Native American woman who lives in Washington State. Her post caught our staffer’s eye because it included a picture of an old, worn Bible. The torn cover, in the picture, showed the Bible’s exposed table of contents. It was clear that this Bible had been well used! 

The comment under the picture asked if anyone had a new Bible that she could have? 

Our staffer asked her to provide her address and told her that we would send her one.

At our office in Brookfield, we have a bookshelf with several used, but still in good condition, Bible’s. At various times throughout the years, supporters and donors have sent these Bibles to us for no apparent reason other than to give from their surplus. We keep them for the day when someone might need one. 

Our staff member picked one and leafed through it to see what was inside. This particular Bible came to us from a woman in Ohio and was sprinkled with notes and markings, but was otherwise in great shape.  It was perfect for Dee!

Our staff member assembled a box and cobbled together some filler to protect the Bible. With it, she enclosed the following note:

Dear Dee,
We hope that you will enjoy the use of this Bible. It was given to Lutheran Indian Ministries as a gift from a supporter of our ministry. I believe that it was given to us just for you. I think that God told this person to send us this Bible because He knew that one day you would be looking for one and find LIM. I encourage you to pay special attention to the notes and markings. God has a message for you in them.
May God Bless you and keep you as you seek Him through His word.

This staff member understood what so many fail to see: though sending this Bible was not her job… it was her calling.

Whose job is it to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Whose job is it disciple others in the faith?

It’s our job – Yours. Mine. Everyone God has chosen to follow Him, by grace through faith.

Your continued support of Lutheran Indian Ministries is an act of outreach to Native American people who hunger to know Jesus and to grow in a relationship with Him.

Romans 15 says:

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up… For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” (vs. 1, 2, 4)

Not every nudge from God sends us toward a big, audacious act of faith. Lives can be powerfully changed in the blink of an eye through the simplest of gestures. 

By the power of the Holy Spirit, God used technology to bring a Native American woman named Dee, a member of our Brookfield ministry team, and a woman from Ohio together in the fulfillment of LIM’s mission, to His glory, for His purposes. In this case, his purpose was simply getting a new Bible into the hands of a woman in need of His Word.

Lutheran Indian Ministries proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ, bringing the hope of salvation and eternal life to Native American peoples. And like Dee, we disciple those who seek to learn more through the Scripture and grow as children of God.

When you make your gift to LIM, you are proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples just as God commanded us to do.

As you go about your day, ask yourself: what is God calling me to do? Please a neighbor and build him up, or make a gift so that we (you and LIM, together) can continue the work God has called us to do.

Your continued gifts to Lutheran Indian Ministries enable our ministry staff to proclaim the endurance and encouragement of the scriptures with people like Dee so that they might have hope in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

May God bless you and keep you always.

P.S. Several weeks after she sent the Bible, our staffer received this note:

“I am so blessed to have you as a dear friend who cared so much to go out of your way and bless me with such an awesome gift, my New King James Version Study Bible. God is good! He continues to love unconditionally. God bless you and your family. Love Dee.”

Thank YOU for making this possible!


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Volunteers Plant, Staff Waters, the Holy Spirit Grows

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Everything in God's Hands: Holy Wednesday, April 12