"i invite YOU in": MATTHEW LASSOR's IMPACT

Our temporal losses, when given to God, become eternal victories here on earth. And when I say “losses,” I mean death.  However, this person’s death, was nothing more than a catalyst for so much life.  And when I say “death,” I mean absence from this side of life. And though he is absent from us, his life and impact still touches us.I don’t want to spoil some of my thoughts because I will be speaking briefly tonight in honor of Matthew Lassor at the ministry outreach called “Matt’s Stocking.” “Matt’s Stocking” is a non-profit organization bore from the pain of a grieving mother’s heart.  At a loss for what to do with Matt’s stocking on his first Christmas in heaven, his mom, Mrs. Lassor, decided to fill it and give it to a needy family.  Thus the birth of a ministry that has grown throughout Cape May County, which supplies Christmas gifts to hundreds of children in need.  Their goal is to celebrate Matt’s life and honor his giving spirit by giving back.And in order to celebrate Matt’s life tonight, I have to remind myself of a prayer that I prayed soon after Matt lost his life. I prayed this prayer at 13 years of age because I wanted my life to have the same effect that Matt’s life—and death—had on the people that he was attached to and beyond. I had no idea the depth of my prayer at the time, until prison, where God brought it back to my attention.I prayed:  “God, take my life and use it. Even if it means taking my life also."  And now 17 years later, God did not deny this request, He just delayed it and refigured it. He answered it, not in the way I asked it, but in the way He knew I needed it; because now, “I give my life away, so God can use me!”My beloved friend Matthew Lassor died at only 12- years of age.  Yet his life still pays eternal dividends here on earth.  You see, to know Matt was to love him.  He lived more actively engaged in life in just one day than many people live their whole entire lives.  He lived with joy and exuberance and he had an unashamed love for God.Today, I am still amazed at the ripple effect of his death as it falls upon so many like a wave.  That wave has refreshed my life, and he will always be an integral part of who I am today. There I go again, getting carried away…..You’ll have to come tonight at Seashore Community Church of the Nazarene to hear the rest.  The event starts at 6PM.