“The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.” ~G.K. Chesterton
I hope you have had a great week so far. As you read this, we will be well into another week of opportunity and challenges. As I type and as you read, chances are, we will be in contact with someone who has been challenged in one way or another this week. How can we help?
Brandon Edwards stated recently, “There are a lot of people in this world today who are attempting to bear unbearable sorrow and despair on their own-they sit across from us at the table, they worship with us, and they work with us. The greatest thing you can offer someone today is a simple question, ‘How are you doing?’ Not the typical, ‘Hey, how are you?’ fly-by sentiment, but a true, honest, ‘How are you doing? Are you ok? What’s going on in your life?’ You will be shocked by the depth of life’s troubles when you take the time to ask and listen.”
Jesus, The Master Teacher, teaches how to “be there” for others. Matthew 9:35-36 says, “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
Like Jesus, we move about daily on various journeys in different places and interacting with different people who are struggling. Jesus not only saw people with struggles, He was moved. We might say He was stirred with emotion followed by action. He goes on to say in verses 37 and 38, “Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
As a laborer, let us go out into the field and be present for those who are scattered. Not only can we provide a shoulder for someone to cry on but we might just help a wandering soul find its way home.
