How many of you children live where your mail is delivered to your house? Do you wave to the mailman, and does he have a friendly greeting for you? The mailman in our story was a familiar sight in the neighborhood where he delivered mail. And he always had a friendly word for all those whom he met. He had no thought that one day he was going to save someone’s life!
Stephen Garofalo had delivered mail to the people of Wayne, New Jersey, for 32 years. He was very familiar with the people who lived there. He knew when a family moved away and when a new one moved into town. The neighbors were all used to seeing him deliver their mail on a daily basis and knew that he did his job well.
One day when he was delivering mail, he noticed a familiar 2-year-old boy wandering around outside. He knew this wasn’t normal, and his instinct told him something was wrong. Picking up the little boy, he asked him, “Where is your mommy?” The little boy just pointed to his home. Now the mailman was sure something was wrong! Quickly, he hurried inside to find the mother unconscious on the floor. When he could get no response, he dialed 911 on his phone.
In a few minutes, a medical team arrived and were able to revive the mother. She had suffered an allergic reaction to some new medication that she was taking which caused her to pass out. Because help had arrived so quickly, she was okay and did not even need to go to the hospital. She had nothing but praise and thankfulness for Stephen their mailman. “He’s an amazing man in general,” she said. “You don’t think of him as a mailman; you think of him as another neighbor.” In her mind, Stephen had just saved her life!
The United States Postal Service also agreed. Stephen was later honored by receiving the Life Saving Award. Stephen not only saved her life, but he had also kept her little boy safe. What if he had wandered into the street and gotten hit by a car? Or had gotten lost and disappeared? Stephanie later said, “Every time I see him, he says, ‘How are you doing today?’” She replies, “I say I’m doing good, and thank you very much.” I thank him every day.
Boys and girls, do you know of the love of God who sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sins? God knew that we were unable to help ourselves, just like Stephanie couldn’t help herself. So great was His love and pity towards us that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). God promises that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). If you have asked God to forgive your sins and you put your trust in Jesus, you are saved and will one day go to heaven.
Just like Stephanie thanks Stephen every day, we should thank God for His wonderful gift to those of us who believe in Him. In the words of Scripture, we can joyfully say, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:1515Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15)).
Messages of God’s Love 01/19/2020