Bread & Roses

Volunteering in your community is one of the most profound ways you can "love your neighbor as yourself". One organization out of the San Francisco Bay Area has been doing just that through the vehicle of live music.

Bread and Roses is an organization that enlists musicians to volunteer their time visiting hospitals, nursing and group homes as well as cancer and AIDS patients. Musicians perform free of charge at various facilities including jails and orphanages. These are often the most marginalized members of society. Shut away and unseen, they are often simply forgotten.

Another musician shared how much it meant when a guitarist came to visit his father who suffered from Parkinson's Disease. His body was so wasted, my friend relates, that the only strength he had left was to sing. Despite the ravages of this disease, he could still vocalize his old time favorites which the volunteer guitarist would play. Here's where it gets difficult. My friend said that would hold his father up to sing and would deliberately stand behind him so he would not see the tears of joy streaming down his face while the woman played. I know both my friend and his father will always remember the kindness shown to them by this volunteer musician.

Our Heavenly Father loves a cheerful giver. What we often miss is that we can receive wonderful blessings ourselves when we put others first. I can't tell you how much joy I have right after ministering to others with Christian music. In fact in Ephesians 5:19, Paul said..."Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord," This is an incredible blessing!

King David said, "I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being." None of us is promised tomorrow and we know not what the future will bring. I try not to let a day pass without singing and playing my instruments in praise of my Heavenly Father and His Son. It is so easy to get caught up in our own daily problems but Yeshua, (Jesus) says to seek first the Kingdom and all other things will be added to us. The Kingdom of God is about sharing with others. This includes sharing the message of Yeshua's coming reign and blessings for all who believe his words. Can you find it in your heart to donate your musical talents? Visit Bread and Roses online to see what others are doing to serve in their communities and join in.


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