“And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37
Each week for the past 12 years the premature babies in the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta have received special care for one amazing volunteer. Daily these babies hear words of encouragement and are held and cuddled. When their mothers or fathers cannot be with them, often because they must return to work or care for their other children, David Deutchman is there to help parents who find it hard to be in two places at one time.
The stress of a having a child in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) is a great burden for any family. Every moment of these newborn lives is a challenge. In addition to the medical obstacles they face, each family struggles with the trials that come from being removed from daily life with family and work.
David Deutchman has a wonderful gift to share with the families of the NICU at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. David gives his time. David is not a doctor or a nurse. David’s spent most of his life working in international business marketing. When he retired, he spent some of his free time teaching at local universities. David found he still had a great amount of free time on his hands. He went to the hospital and asked if they had any volunteer position available. Since that day, David has held and rocked hundreds of babies for thousands of hours. He has held the hands of mothers who are praying for and worried about their babies. David has become a blessing to families all over Georgia because he was willing to give his time and share the love that was in his heart.
When I read about David Deutchman and how he is blessing lives at age 82, I was reminded that we are all capable of making a difference in the lives of others. We all have the ability to be a blessing. We simply must be willing to give up one of our greatest resources, our time. When we make time to enter into the lives of others, we can share God’s love and bring hope to others, even when their circumstances keep them from seeing beyond their momentary struggles.
How do you choose to use your time? I want to encourage you to dare greatly, make time to bless others. Like David Deutchman you will find God blessing you to be a blessing.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
