Don’t Turn Away

January 8, 2015

“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:12

John C. Maxwell is one of my favorite authors.  He has written classics like “5 Levels of Leadership”, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, & “Sometimes you Win, Sometimes you Learn”.  One of his golden gems of advice through his leadership tutoring is

“When your mind-set is to give more than you take, it forces you to think of others more than of yourself. You have to pay attention to others and what they want. You have to figure out how to give it to them. These things shift your focus from yourself to others. That very fact makes you less selfish.”

By focusing on this I have found it to be invaluable in my walk with Christ.  When my eyes are on others, and helping them it is extremely difficult to be concerned about my own problems.  The world is full of individuals facing dire straights.  We need not look far in order to find another who is in need of your help and support, regardless of your current position. 

It reminds me of a story of a homeless man who was walking the streets on one cold, snowy December eve.  He was looking for something warm to cover with for the evening.  As was his normal path, he walked along the alleys and back streets past the dumpsters and back doors of many restaurants and stores.  On occasion a kind soul would hand him a warm cup of coffee or a plate of left overs from the kitchen.  But on this night he found something different.  He found a young pregnant woman laying against the wall, with nothing more than a suitcase.  She had no coat, no gloves and was bleeding from her lip and a few cuts on her arm and knees.  He approached her, which caused her to cower closer to the wall with fear in her eyes.  He proceeded to remove his coat and gloves, and pulled an old worn handkerchief from his pocket.  He handed them to her gently and stepped back.  He pounded on the back door of a familiar restaurant and asked the owner if he had anything to spare for this young soon to be mother.  The owner provided a warm plate of food and a cup of coffee. 

One of the waitresses stepped out and approached the girl.  Putting her arm around the young woman, she escorted her into the restaurant and helped her clean the cuts and scrapes.  She discovered that the woman was from another state and was dumped here in this alley by her boyfriend before he drove off.  The waitress gave the girl her tips for the night and made a few calls until she found a woman’s shelter with an open bed.  The homeless man escorted her to the shelter and ensured that she was secure before leaving on his way.

We all have compassion inside of us.  We must choose to do something with it to help others, despite the troubles we are facing at the time.  Loving other people is a characteristic that will have amazing results if we choose to act.  Take this opportunity to think who you might be able to help today, tomorrow and in the coming weeks.  What do they need and how can you help provide it?  Be a blessing to those in need.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2015
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