Dr. Gray Bailey is good at making people smile. And that’s not just because he’s been a dentist for the past 17 years.
Since opening Absolute Quality Care Family Dentistry in 2001, Bailey has helped thousands of patients with both preventative and emergency dental care. But while this graduate from the LSU School of Dentistry believes in providing the best medical care possible, he also knows about the complete healing that comes from God’s love and compassion. It’s why on any given day, you can find Bailey in his Prairieville practice not only building crowns or performing some of the latest laser technology in dentistry, but you can also find him sharing the love of Christ, both in spoken and unspoken ways.
“We do things differently here,” Bailey said, explaining that the direction of medical care and insurance in our country is unfortunately forcing some people to make difficult decisions when it comes to their health. “I’m not working for insurance companies, though. I’m here to just take good care of my patients.”
And for this civil engineer turned dentist, that means combining work and faith.
“I have pulled teeth for free,” he said, explaining that showing love to others is paramount to who we are with Christ. “The more you give, the more Christ keeps giving to you.”
Five years so, his attitude was much different.
Bailey always focused on the best care for his patients, but his faith life was struggling. Then one day at work, he developed severe pain. An ambulance was called, and on the way to the hospital, Bailey unmistakably found what he was looking for. “I had a talk with God about how I didn’t want to see him just yet because I didn’t think he would be too proud of me. I asked him for another chance,” Bailey said, softly.
Then just as the ambulance neared the hospital, something strange happened. The pain mysteriously began to subside. After some tests, Bailey was able to go home that night. It was believed the intense pain was from a kidney stone.
“That night, I was on my hands and knees in the shower,” he said, pausing as the intensity of those feelings returned. “I thanked God for that second chance and I asked him to show me his love.” Bailey remembers feeling that God “just scooped me up and held me.”
During the next two weeks, Bailey’s life totally changed. He described that time as a spiritual journey, noting that he hasn’t been the same since. “For me to share Christ with people now is an honor,” he said. “It’s not hard for me to do. I’m not ashamed of it. I love my God.”
Surrounded in Jesus’s love, he sees church today, not as a building of believers, but rather as the living hands and legs of Christ working to bring Scripture to everyone. “I asked God to show me what to do,” he said. “And he did.”
By focusing on Matthew 25: 35-46, where Jesus is found in those who are hungry, thirsty and in need, Bailey said he was led to start an organization called “Love They Neighbor.” As a ministry, the organization brings Bibles, food and clothing to anyone in need. It’s also why on any given weekend, Bailey, his wife, Beth, and others go into various neighborhoods and cook a huge pot of jambalaya (using a prize-worthy recipe he secured from his father-in-law). He explained that they are happy to physically and spiritually feed all who join them. “We’re there for anyone,” he said.
The father of three grown children and the grandfather of one, Bailey and his wife live on a farm with several animals, including a dog and chickens. But there are other critters, literally, buzzing around: lots and lots of bees. Originally, Bailey said he became interested in the insects for medicinal purposes as bee stings have often been associated with helping arthritic pain.
Today, thanks to his free services in trapping and removing unwanted bee colonies, Bailey now has 40 hives on his own property.
So, what does he do with all that honey?
Just as it was a sign of health for Samuel in the Bible, Bailey uses his honey to gift others. In the end, it’s just another way to keep people smiling.
Volunteers join Dr. Bailey to cook jambalaya for local residents through his “Love Thy Neighbor” ministryDr. Bailey and his wife Beth with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards
If you’ve ever hurt a loved one or caused a friendship to fail, then you know the emotions that can surface when you ask for forgiveness.
Feelings like pain, sorrow and even the inner conflict between humility and pride are all too common. But the act of forgiveness can wash away those feelings, and when expressed with a contrite heart, it can ultimately help a relationship become whole again. Forgiveness also works the same way in a relationship with God.
As humans, we are imperfect, and when failings occur and our actions, or sometimes, our inability to act, pulls us away from God, asking for forgiveness can make the relationship whole again.
“We never lose our relationship with God. That’s important to understand. But what reconciliation (confession) does is bring you back to that peace (with God),” said Father Charlie Landry, pastor of St. Gabriel Catholic Church in St. Gabriel.
In the Catholic Church, confession or asking for forgiveness is one of the church’s seven sacraments, or outward signs of the faith. It involves privately admitting one’s sins to a priest and then receiving absolution (forgiveness) for those sins.
For non-Catholics, however, the Sacrament of Reconciliation can be confusing. Traditionally, it was received in a confessional or behind a screen, but today, Catholics have the option to meet face-to-face with a priest.
Father Landry explained that while confession involves a personal examination of self, the priest’s presence is important because it reflects the ecclesiastical community of the church. “As Christians and as Catholic Christians, the sense of what Jesus left us is that we are a community,” he said, pointing to the Apostle Paul, who said in 1 Corinthians that even though we are different parts, we represent one body of Christ.
And as one body, when one member of the community offends or hurts another, the entire community is affected, Father Landry said. “It’s like a sore on your arm. You know the sore is there, but your whole body feels the pain and is affected by it,” he said, adding that through reconciliation, everyone, or all parts of the body of Christ, can come back to peace and wholeness in the church.
Confessing to a priest also allows spiritual directing and can help bring understanding to what is causing a sin, said Father Landry.
“Have you ever tried to dig up a dandelion? If you don’t get the root, it will come back again and again. But to get that root, you have to dig deep. That’s where spiritual directing can help, so you can find out the cause (of certain behaviors) and how you can make a change,” he said.
Spiritual directing can also guide those penitents who struggle to forgive themselves.
But what if a person isn’t really sorry for hurting someone else? Is a contrite heart needed for confession and ultimately forgiveness? Father Landry said it is necessary, especially in any loving relationship. With true contrition, the bond strengthens, and even though humans may worry about being hurt again, with God’s forgiveness, there is no worry.
“I kind of look at confession as God cleaning the slate,” he said, adding that our free will may at times take us out of our relationship with God, but God is always waiting for us to reconcile. “The beauty of reconciliation is when you sin, you know you can come back and receive the grace of reconciliation and continue living the salvation of Jesus.”
Bishop Ronald Hardy, Sr. is the Pastor of Faith, Hope and Love Worship Centers of Baton Rouge and St. Francisville, Louisiana
Today, I want to inspire you to open your heart to experience t
he blessing of forgiveness. The
word blessing is defined as a beneficial thing for which one i
s grateful, something that brings
well-being. It is important to understand that forgiveness is
for our well-being. The Lord knows
what is best for us. This is why He commands us to forgive.
There are some key benefits or advantages to forgiveness.
So, why is this so important to
know? Because it may seem like you are coming up on the sh
ort end of the stick when you
operate in the spirit of forgiveness, but you are not.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to the church at Co
rinth in II Corinthians 2:10-11:
“
To
whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it
, for your
sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are
not ignorant of his devices.
”Today, I want to inspire you to open your heart to experience t
he blessing of forgiveness. The
word blessing is defined as a beneficial thing for which one i
s grateful, something that brings
well-being. It is important to understand that forgiveness is
for our well-being. The Lord knows
what is best for us. This is why He commands us to forgive.
There are some key benefits or advantages to forgiveness.
So, why is this so important to
know? Because it may seem like you are coming up on the sh
ort end of the stick when you
operate in the spirit of forgiveness, but you are not.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to the church at Co
rinth in II Corinthians 2:10-11:
“
To
whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it
, for your
sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are
not ignorant of his devices.
”Today, I want to inspire you to open your heart to experience t
he blessing of forgiveness. The
word blessing is defined as a beneficial thing for which one i
s grateful, something that brings
well-being. It is important to understand that forgiveness is
for our well-being. The Lord knows
what is best for us. This is why He commands us to forgive.
There are some key benefits or advantages to forgiveness.
So, why is this so important to
know? Because it may seem like you are coming up on the sh
ort end of the stick when you
operate in the spirit of forgiveness, but you are no
There are some key benefits or advantages to forgiveness. So, why is this so important to know? Because it may seem like you are coming up on the short end of the stick when you operate in the spirit of forgiveness, but you are not.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul says to the church at Corinth in II Corinthians 2:10-11: “To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
You see, unforgiveness allows Satan to get the advantage over us. However, forgiveness allows us to get the advantage over him. So, you should never feel that you are coming up on the short end of the stick when you operate in true forgiveness. So, let’s look at some of the Blessings of Forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:30-32 says, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Forgiveness allows us to experience freedom to properly move forward in life. You must forgive, so you can put the past behind you. As long as your past is before you, it will block you from properly seeing your future, and it will also hinder you from embracing your present.
You see, unforgiveness keeps us emotionally trapped, which can result in different types of unhealthy emotions like bitterness, rage or anger. Bitterness is a smoldering resentment or wrath that produces rage. Rage is the heat of passion in the moment of anger. Anger is a more internally deep form of hostility or clamor[1].You cannot allow yourself to stay trapped in these emotions, because it will rob you of God’s best for your life.Forgiveness is the key to getting free from these emotions. It is time for you to experience a freedom in your life through the Blessing of Forgiveness.
The second Blessing of Forgiveness is that it allows us to experience a new beginning. God’s open display of forgiveness through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, opens the door for a new beginning. Colossians 1:14 says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” It is through His forgiveness that we are able to have a new-found relationship with Him.
Forgiveness will always leave the door open for a possible “new start” in your relationship with the individual that you are forgiving. It is the key to leaving the door open for a possibility of another chance with that individual. However, please remember that forgiveness does not mean that you should continue to put yourself in the same position to be mistreated again. Forgiveness means that you are not holding any resentment, hatred or wishing any ill will towards that particular individual.
Let me share a story with you about a new beginning. A young couple in my church was about to have their first child, which caused the wife to think about her husband’s situation with his father. The husband knew of his father, but he did not have his father’s last name. The wife wanted her husband to have his biological father’s last name, because she did not want their daughter to grow up carrying a last name that was not her true identity. So, she asked her husband to talk to his biological father about signing his birth certificate, so he could have the same last name as his biological father. This would allow him to pass his biological father’s last name to his daughter.
Initially, he did not want to ask his father, because his father was not involved in his life. She continued to be persistent, but he still refused to do it. Eventually, he got his hands on the book that I wrote, “Where is Daddy?” After reading the book, he shared with his wife that he would follow through with her request if his father would first read the book.
So, they sent the book to his father. His father’s wife called and told him that his father was brought to tears while he read the book. So, he and his father decided to meet. They both expressed their feelings, and because he was willing to forgive his father for not being there for him while he was growing up, they were able to experience a new beginning in their relationship. The name was changed on the husband’s birth certificate, which allowed their newborn child to carry her true identity. The father and son have a good relationship now, because of the Blessing of Forgiveness. As I stated earlier, forgiveness opens the door for a new beginning.
The last thing that I want to share is that forgiveness keeps us in good standing with our Heavenly Father. Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” So, if you have been struggling with forgiveness, it is time for you to forgive, so that you can walk in your new-found freedom.
You might be saying that the individual does not deserve my forgiveness. That is exactly right. Forgiveness is not something that is earned or deserved. Forgiveness is something freely given. I have been confronted with this many times in my life. It hasn’t always been easy, but I had to choose to forgive. Forgiveness is an act of your own will. If you can see the blessing in forgiveness, then maybe it will become a little easier to forgive.
[1] Clamor: the cry of strife or contention; out of control and, lastly, evil speaking in the form of slander.
Bishop Ronald Hardy, Sr. is the Pastor of Faith, Hope and Love Worship Centers of Baton Rouge and St. Francisville, Louisiana a multifaceted ministry touching the lives of many. He is a preacher, teacher, prophet and author. God has given Bishop Hardy a Ministry of Restoration.
Bishop Hardy has authored two books, one that will enrich marriage entitled, “A Loke Like This” and the other one “Where Is Daddy?” A book that brings restoration to the hearts of fathers and the fatherless. He also authors the Daily Word, a Monday-Friday devotional that helps people navigate through their daily life. This daily Word can be viewed on the face book page of Faith, Hope and Love Worship Center.
Bishop Hardy is married to Robbin Hardy and they have four living children and seven grandchildren.
Our family had just spent a fantastic week at a Christian summer camp. We had made some amazing new friends, listened to wise words from an inspiring speaker and had many exciting outdoor adventures. We felt refreshed from a peaceful week, and our spiritual tanks were full. We had no clue what God was preparing us for, and we didn’t know that only four short days later, we would find out.
On this hot July morning, my hard-working husband, Michael, woke up early, as usual. He sang as he showered. His cheerfulness seeped melodically throughout the rooms of our home. He quickly dressed and gathered his things. Our children giggled as their playful daddy chased them around the house for goodbye kisses. I kissed Michael goodbye and told him I loved him.
Michael’s truck after the accident.
Only several hours later, I got the phone call from a stranger. The stranger’s voice shook as he regretfully told me, “Ma’am, your husband has been in a very serious wreck.” Michael had run into the back of an 18-wheeler on the interstate. The 18-wheeler was almost completely stopped, and Michael had crashed into him going full speed. “Is he bleeding? Is he going to be okay? Is he alive?” I hysterically asked. The stranger explained that the Jaws of Life had pried him out of his smashed truck, and the helicopter would arrive any minute to fly him to the emergency room.
I was finally called back to see my husband. As I walked in, I saw Michael lying on the hospital bed with a horrified look on his face. His rapid, shallow breathing revealed how difficult and painful it was to breathe. When he saw me, his eyes filled with tears and he whispered, “I am so sorry.” I held his trembling hand and told him that everything was going to be okay. I could hear his broken bones in his chest snapping with each laborious breath.
Michael was moved to the trauma unit where they tried to manage his pain until surgery for his broken legs. Two surgeries later, both of his legs were full of hardware, covered in stitches and were two times their normal size. Michael was kept in a comatose state and remained on the ventilator to allow his lungs, sternum and ribs time to heal.
Rachel holding Michael’s swollen and jaundiced hand during the recovery process.
After several days, I noticed that Michael started to look different. His body began to swell and he started to turn yellow. He also developed a fever and his vital signs were too high. It was very difficult to manage his pain, even though he was extremely sedated, and when they tried to get Michael off of the ventilator, it was clear that his lungs were not ready to support his breathing.
The days in the hospital began to run together. Michael’s reports did not get better. His liver was still struggling, he had developed pneumonia, had several blood transfusions, had a persistent fever, and the doctors were beginning to worry that he had developed Staph. Then the worst news came. Michael had developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). The doctors’ voices were low as they explained everything to us. The hopelessness and fear overwhelmed me, and I begged and pleaded for someone to tell me that he would be okay. Then one nurse explained, “I’ve seen people in much worse condition live, and I’ve seen people in much better condition die.”
My spirited husband, who was usually so full of life, lay so lifeless, taking only breaths that the ventilator initiated. As I stood over him, I saw the deep groove of where his wedding ring was and imagined him saying, “I have never taken this ring off and I never will.” I looked at the messy pink polish he had allowed our two-year-old daughter to paint onto his toes. I begged, “God, please don’t take this amazing man from us.”
As their grandmother read books to our children that night, I hid in my bedroom and listened to voicemails from Michael. His soothing voice sounded so sweet in my ear. I went into Michael’s closet and could smell his fragrance on his clothes. Michael felt so near. I could almost hear him saying the words he said to me only hours after his accident, “Rachel, I can’t tell you why this happened, but I know this happened for a reason. And I know God kept me alive for that reason.” I clung to his words so tightly.
As the fog of shock began to wear off, I was able to see and feel the indescribable outpouring of love from family and friends. Family and friends took care of our children, traveled to be with us, provided us with meals and groceries (which lasted for months!), set up a fund to help with the hospital expenses and constantly offered powerful words of encouragement and heartfelt prayers. They even built us a ramp so Michael could get into our home in his wheelchair. Churches all over our state were praying for Michael and his healing. Our community was lifting us up and carrying us through this terrifying time.
Michael coming home from the hospital after a long recovery process.
Over the next several days, Michael began to slowly improve. Then, I got the most incredible surprise of my life when I returned for the visitation with Michael one evening. Michael was off of the ventilator and was alert. He could barely lift his head or open his eyes, but when he saw me, he said, “Now there’s the love of my life.” I cannot even explain the joy that I felt in that moment.
We were very careful not to overwhelm Michael as he woke up. He had lost more than 20 pounds and was extremely weak. Michael remembered that he had been in a car accident but didn’t remember much of anything after that. He experienced lots of delusions and post-traumatic stress as he came back into consciousness.
As the days went on, Michael became more aware and was ready to see our two young children, and they were very excited to finally see their daddy. This was such a magical moment for us. Our children eagerly became little caretakers. I remember the tears pouring down my cheeks as I watched our 2-year-old and 4-year-old so naturally and courageously take on this new careful and gentle demeanor with their father.
Michael worked hard. He didn’t let being in a wheelchair slow him down. He was bound and determined to walk. With some great physical therapy and dedication, Michael was walking four months before the doctors predicted. Despite all of his suffering, Michael’s attitude remained optimistic as he focused on making his suffering count. Michael is my hero. I have never seen anything like his faith, courage or perseverance.
This experience has given our family new eyes to see this life. It has revealed to us that even in the wake of such uncertainty and fear, there are so many blessings. It has been a long road to recovery. However, with every trial, we have more joyously celebrated our victories. Michael’s scars are a reminder to us of the miracle we experienced and that God has a very big plan for Michael here on Earth.
