Lending a hand...

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”
― John Wesley

 Every day there are ways to help others.  In our hearts we know this, but we often let distractions rule our minutes. We don't take the time to stop and assist someone; we are in a hurry. Recently I had the opportunity to help families in our community who aren't as fortunate.  I helped distribute new and used clothing and school supplies to children who would otherwise not be able to attend their first day of school with a new outfit or a backpack filled with crayons, pencils or notebooks.

To see children excited about a gently worn shirt or pair of pants was humbling.  When they moved on to the boxes of new clothing, their excitement mounted. Each child was able to choose their favorite color and style and spoke with joy about wearing that outfit on their first day of school!

Micah 6;8 says, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  Each day we are given the opportunity to do good deeds. We can look the other way or we can offer our hands. In helping others, we not only become a blessing, but we are also richly blessed.

"Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours." 

                                                                      Teresa of Avila







           

Love and understanding...

Humor for today:
A boy says, "Daddy, Daddy, I want to get married!"
The father says, "For that you have to have a boy and a girl."
The son says, "I've found a girl."
"And who might that be ?" his father responds.
"My grandmother."
"Let me get this straight," the father says. "You want to marry my mother? You can't do that."
"Well, why not ?" the son says. "You married mine!"

Children verbalize the sweetest thoughts! Their fresh little minds are constantly acquiring and trying to assess new information.  In their minds, many of the sweet things they say are fact.  And with love and understanding, they learn as they grow.

Just as children learn and love, reading the Bible gives us new understanding and love for our Lord. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."  We are given the recipe for a good life in just one book. Our education will last a lifetime if we are diligent in our studies. And benefits?  We will forever be children of God and loved by Him who designed us.

 John 1:1 says,  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." We are never too young or too old to learn and understand. How blessed we are that God awaits.