……he who refreshes others will be refreshed himself. Proverbs 11:25b
One of the trips down memory lane for me during my recent Hong Kong trip was to tune into the 7.30 TV news from America. It was always our breakfast accompaniment over the years.
What caught my eye one day was about a programme one lady had initiated in high schools a number of years ago, it’s so simple but is making a world of difference in the lives of special needs students. Whereas many students with autism and Downs syndrome once suffered the agony of facing a lonely lunch in the school cafeteria, now they are linked with other students for lunch dates. This develops friendship which leads to other social events and also serves to teach the ‘regular’ students about caring for special needs people. One autistic teenager who was interviewed said, “Now that I have friends I feel whole.” Wow! How good is that and so simple.
It made me think about how easy it really is to make a difference in the life of a lonely person, but it does take purpose. It means that we have to stop our busyness, look around and say, “Lord is there someone in my circle of life that you want me to connect with on a deeper level?” It is so easy to be satisfied with our own life, but it is almost inevitable that there are people around us who feel isolated and alone.
When we reach out and touch another life we are always enriched ourselves. Jesus said that in giving we will receive (Luke 6:38), it’s just a law of life like the law of gravity. This one is the law of sowing and reaping. As Christians we have been given so much by way of unconditional love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. We have been given unique gifts and talents through which we can make a difference in our world. We need to use what we've been given to be a blessing.
Will you ask yourself today, “Is my world too small; too safe; too comfortable? Is there room for someone else who needs a friendly smile, a word, a cuppa?” There probably is someone you can make a difference for and in doing so it will make a difference to you too.
Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me to see who I can make a difference for in my world today. Help me to get outside of my own busy life and extend the gift of friendship to someone else. Amen
One of the trips down memory lane for me during my recent Hong Kong trip was to tune into the 7.30 TV news from America. It was always our breakfast accompaniment over the years.
What caught my eye one day was about a programme one lady had initiated in high schools a number of years ago, it’s so simple but is making a world of difference in the lives of special needs students. Whereas many students with autism and Downs syndrome once suffered the agony of facing a lonely lunch in the school cafeteria, now they are linked with other students for lunch dates. This develops friendship which leads to other social events and also serves to teach the ‘regular’ students about caring for special needs people. One autistic teenager who was interviewed said, “Now that I have friends I feel whole.” Wow! How good is that and so simple.
It made me think about how easy it really is to make a difference in the life of a lonely person, but it does take purpose. It means that we have to stop our busyness, look around and say, “Lord is there someone in my circle of life that you want me to connect with on a deeper level?” It is so easy to be satisfied with our own life, but it is almost inevitable that there are people around us who feel isolated and alone.
When we reach out and touch another life we are always enriched ourselves. Jesus said that in giving we will receive (Luke 6:38), it’s just a law of life like the law of gravity. This one is the law of sowing and reaping. As Christians we have been given so much by way of unconditional love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. We have been given unique gifts and talents through which we can make a difference in our world. We need to use what we've been given to be a blessing.
Will you ask yourself today, “Is my world too small; too safe; too comfortable? Is there room for someone else who needs a friendly smile, a word, a cuppa?” There probably is someone you can make a difference for and in doing so it will make a difference to you too.
Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me to see who I can make a difference for in my world today. Help me to get outside of my own busy life and extend the gift of friendship to someone else. Amen
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