In Matthew 25:40, Jesus uses a parable to teach about judgement based on action. Part of the verse says, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ As believers in Christ, we are encouraged to see the needs of others as a reflection of Christ’s needs and to respond with care and helpfulness. As a young girl growing up in a Christian family, Kristine heard Bible verses like Matthew 25:40. She accepted Jesus as her savior at a young age and yet struggled with judgement, criticism and depression. Several years later, it was in college she understood the meaning of living for Christ. As a result of that, her judgmentalism turned to care and patience. First towards herself and then for others.
“When I went away to college, my faith became my own,” Kristine shared. “There were many lonely weekends. I really turned to God’s word, seeking comfort. I started going to church because I wanted to go to church, not because I was told to go. God’s word came alive, especially the Psalms. There was lots of Bible verse highlighting that year! Jesus saved me from being judgmental and from depression - a struggle in my life since middle school. Those struggles have not been eradicated, but with the Lord, there is hope and joy. I am so grateful.”
After college, Kristine married and had three boys. While caring for her toddlers, Kristine watched from afar as her grandparents’ health declined.
“My grandparents, who I loved very much, lived in Florida,” Kristine described. “They started to need more help. I was in Nebraska, married, with three little kids. I could call them and send cards, but could not physically be there. It pained me. After my grandparents passed, my mother-in-law in Omaha was struggling with dementia and kidney failure.”
Kristine’s relationship with her hadn’t been a close one, but she and her husband helped out when needed. One day stood out to Kristine. God used this to teach her about ‘the least of these.’
“I went to her assisted living apartment, and saw that her shoes were soiled,” Kristine reminisced. “I wished I hadn’t seen it. I figured one of the nurses would get it. Then, it was as if I heard the Holy Spirit say “Just clean the sandals.” So I put gloves on, tossed them in the shower and did it. It was not my favorite task, but it was the beginning of God putting love in my heart for her. I wanted to help preserve her dignity. I wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible in embarrassing situations that she had no control over. It was the Lord. I was able to be kind and gracious because of Jesus. I wasn’t even trying. It just came out.”
As she cared for her mother-in-law, she recognized similar needs in other families. Many families, because of time or distance, needed help meeting the needs of elderly loved ones. Kristine launched a business to fill this gap. The business, Here to Help, LLC, offered non-medical support services. As she served and helped clients, she noticed that she received more.
“It’s such a joy to help others,” Kristine described. “Clients are so grateful and complimentary, which is nice, but their gratitude sometimes felt uncomfortable. I used to quickly say thank you and change the subject. It was the Holy Spirit that showed me to direct the praise back to the Lord, where it belongs. Now, I say that it’s a blessing to do what God has wired me to do and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to serve. Ultimately, I am here to bless others for the glory of God.”
Several years ago, Kristine had a client at Montclair Nursing Home. She saw firsthand the extraordinary need with their staff and residents. The Lord brought Montclair to her mind consistently. Last year an opportunity to serve Montclair with our church family developed.
“Last summer, my main client passed away,” Kristine spoke with care. “I wasn’t ready to fill that time with a new client. I thought again of Montclair. I emailed Karen Cogdill from Citylight and offered to be a liaison between our church and Montclair - connecting interested individuals with residents and/or planning outreaches. Karen was very interested. So I spoke with the activities director, Kevin, who was thrilled and said, “You won’t believe this, but I have been praying the Lord would bring some local churches who can connect with us.” Kevin had wonderful ideas but little resources.”
Kevin dreamed that each of the 125 residents at Montclair could receive a few Christmas gifts. Citylight’s leadership approved the idea. With Karen Cogdill’s help, the Christmas gift adoption project launched. Within a month, every resident was interviewed, and every resident was adopted. Looking back, Kristine shared a few highlights that stood out.
”Many of the residents couldn’t believe that we were asking them what they wanted for Christmas,” Kristine said. “One man I remember particularly. When I asked what he’d like, he said, “Really? Anything? How about some pencils and a notepad?” I said “Sure! What else?” He said, “I can ask for something else too?” It made me almost cry. This is how little this man has. He then asked for some pants. We figured out his size and he got them all for Christmas. Another resident, after unwrapping her gift, hugged her new tennis shoes and said it was her first new pair of shoes in 5 years! She was so happy!”
Citylight was incredibly generous with all of the gifts. One of the long-time nurses said she’d never seen anything like it before. Since Christmas, Kristine has been back at Montclair with homemade Valentine bags for the residents made by her and volunteers from Citylight. She is thankful.
“There’s been so much joy,” Kristine confessed with a smile. “Sometimes residents ask where we are from, and I tell them Citylight Church. I tell them “We are your neighbors - less than a mile away, right across Center Street.” It helps them to connect by knowing we are their neighbors, and we care.”
Most of Montclair’s residents rely on Medicaid to pay their medical bills. They have very few financial resources. Some have supportive family nearby, but others do not. Montclair is an opportunity for us, The Church, to show our neighbors that there are people in their community who care and want to love on them.
”We are already planning four outreach events at Montclair in 2025,” Kristine described the serving opportunity Citylight has. “We’ll run a spring and fall Bingo game, providing special prizes. We’re working on a 4th of July event (held on the 3rd), with fireworks, hot dogs, and music in the parking lot. And we’ll do the Christmas gift project again in November. There are also opportunities for one-on-one resident relationship connections for interested individuals, families, or City Groups.”
Every person has a need to be loved and to love. Kristine has experienced this firsthand and has gratitude in her heart. Jesus has made everything better, has taken away in Kristine the edges of judgement, criticism and depression, and given her a clear purpose and joy in return. God is faithful. He has equipped all of us and for “the least of these.”
Help serve our Montclair neighbors. Email Karen and the team karen.cogdill@citylightomaha.org.