"the world will know you are mine by the way you love one another"

J and I took my dad home from rehab Thurs and spent the weekend with him and my step-mom. It is going to be a long recovery, but he is doing much better than I had expected. I know that is an answer to prayer and I am very grateful. We'll be going back and forth for a few weeks trying to be as much help as possible.
They live right across the street from their church, but their pastor is about the only one who visits or helps much. Kind of sad to think that the arms of that part of the body of Christ don't even reach that far. Of course this isn't the first time I have seen the church fall short in ministering to its own. We offer to help..."let me know if I can do anything", but we get busy and don't follow through. I think maybe a better approach is to ask specifically "What can I do to help?" and to ask it often. Or to do something that is always appreciated like cook a meal or offer to spend some time with the sick/elderly/recuperating family member so the caretaker can take a break. If we are serous about ministry and our heart is open, I know the Holy Spirit will give clear and specific directions. Our Heavenly Father knows what the need is and He promises to meet it. Wouldn't it be a wonderful blessing if He used one of us, His children, to do that?