“A lone ranger is a dead ranger.” Those words are so true, and really hit home. After meeting with the Brothers Without Borders group on Thursday, we touched on that topic. We want to be not just a missionary outreach to the Dominican Republic, we want to be a place where people can come together and share back home. And we did just that.
Many faces were there, some with the group since the beginning, some coming for the first time. It’s amazing to see how many people came and shared. People need fellowship, need a place to share their worries and fears. We talked about how people that work in the Fire/EMS/Emergency Services field sometimes need to vent, but don’t want to do it to their families and bring it home with them. We shared about different peoples coping mechanisms, and we also discussed how we can encourage each other. Without each other to lean on during life, things can get stressful and feel out of hand.
Even Jesus had His disciples to lean on. Everywhere Jesus went, His disciples were with Him. He taught them, but also talked with them, and called them His friends. The Bible speaks many times about friendship, and one of my favorite verses that talks about this is Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. It says “Two are better than one,because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
As emergency services personnel, we see things that most people will never see. We get to see people in their worst of times, and we need to pick ourselves up after that traumatic call, and prepare ourselves for the next patient, the next call, the next emergency we encounter. With Brothers Without Borders being a support group, that transition is easier. The open and honest communication that took place on Thursday was incredible, and I know that God is doing a work in the emergency services here in WNY. He has started a great work in the Dominican, and His word is spreading like wildfire.
Lean on each other, break down those walls. Lets band together to encourage, build up, and love on each other. Trust that God will use somebody to encourage you and show you His love and friendship. “Iron sharpens iron, as one man sharpens another” Proverbs 27:17.