Proverbs 3:27,28: Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person. Don’t tell your neighbour, “Maybe some other time,” or, “Try me tomorrow,” when the money’s right there in your pocket. (MSG)
Have you ever seen someone in desperate need and thought to yourself ‘why doesn’t someone help that person?’ Why doesn’t the government, the church …someone, help them?
I think we’ve all had that reaction at some point; some poor, dirty, smelly derelict begging on the street, or much closer to home, a neighbour whose husband’s just been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer; a young, single mother who’s sick and struggling to cook a meal for her children; even some person sitting in the pew next to you at church who can’t make their next car payment. Why doesn’t someone help them?
Now, here’s a crazy thought. What if that someone is you?
What makes someone deserving of your help? Nothing more than their humanity, their frailty, the simple fact that they’re created in God’s image, same as you and me. Nothing more than that. And I know … believe you me, I know … how easy it is to fob them off because it’s inconvenient because you’re busy, because … well, for any number of reasons.
But honestly, it is such an incredible blessing for us to be able to help someone in their time of need. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be with money; just a kind word, a cuppa and a chat, a simple courtesy, a helping hand. Because your hand is God’s hand for that person.
As a friend of mine, Toni Gattari, once said … giving is living.