“There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby in Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please, come as soon as possible!” So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room.
The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and presented her to them alive. The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord.” – Acts 9:36-42
I often wonder what treasures the Lord has stored up in heaven for men like Charles Stanley and Billy Graham. In my lifetime, I don’t know of two other faithful evangelists who have had more of an impact with sharing the gospel than them.
But then I’m reminded as I read my Bible that God values his faithful servants working quietly behind the scenes just as much. They probably won’t pack stadiums shoulder to shoulder to hear them preach; they probably won’t ever pin columns for popular Christian magazines and publications; their names won’t ever get mentioned in the morning paper, and very few would recognize who they even are outside of the little neighborhood they reside in.
But they give their time and talent to help those who desperately need it.
As Luke paints the picture that day involving Dorcas’ death, we quickly see that this lady was everything to those poor widows who she truly loved. She was always helping them. And undoubtedly it went beyond just making coats and clothing for them. She served them in whatever way she could, whether it was making coats or preparing food.
Dorcas’ story only gets seven tiny verses in the Bible, but it is one of the most impactful stories in the entirety of the New Testament. She was a difference maker! She cared about the people Jesus cared about! She served the marginalized, the poor, and the underprivileged.
We have a guy that comes into our afternoon recovery meeting 2-3 times per week. He’s an older guy, probably mid-70’s. He’s been sober for quite a while. When he enters the room, he’s always wearing a smile and carrying an old purple draw-string pouch with him. Oddly enough, it’s one of those purple Crown Royal whiskey pouches.
Disclaimer: There is no bottle of whiskey inside, although the first time I met him I didn’t know that, and naturally I suggested that he leave that in his car, since it was an AA meeting. He just looked at me and laughed. “Relax, kid. This isn’t my first AA meeting. I’ve done this a few times.”
But the moment he enters, he doesn’t find a chair and sit right away. No, he walks around the room to check in with the fellas and shakes the hand of every last man there. And after he’s done checking in with the men, he wanders over to where the women are sitting. He sticks his hand in this little purple whiskey pouch that he’s carrying and out comes a small chocolate candy bar. Every lady in the room gets one. And most days we have 10-15 women who make our afternoon meeting! But he does this every single time he shows up! There’s no telling how much money this fella spends on chocolate bars each week!
But here’s the deal. Our meeting isn’t the only meeting he attends in our town. Every day he’s at a meeting somewhere in the Valley, sometimes two meetings in one day. Rarely does he come by himself, as he’s always giving someone a lift to the meeting who needs a ride.
And he just sits in the meetings and listens. He never raises his hand to share. And even when he’s asked to share, he waves the chairperson off and says, “I stay sober by listening, not speaking. Thank you guys and gals for helping me stay sober.”
That guy is awesome. And that guy is a difference maker, just like Dorcas.
These people are hard to find. But then again, that’s part of their deal. They work quietly behind the scenes and avoid the spotlight. They do what they do not out of anything other than love and kindness.
“Ah! If there be degrees in glory, they will not be distributed according to our talents, but according to our faithfulness in using them.” – C.H. Spurgeon
Former Blackout Artist 