I am NOT okay!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

We spent our Saturday with my grandniece Ella (3 yrs. old) and my grandnephew Liam (4 months old).  We went to their brother Kaleb’s (7 years old) soccer game.  Then we went to the Artwalk in Aurora, NE.  After that we drove to pick up another friend and headed to the Hastings Museum Imax Theatre to see the Odyssey of the Turtle in 3D.  After all this we went out to have dinner.  We sat around the table.  Our drinks came Ella had ordered her usual chocolate milk.  As we sat waiting for the meals to arrive, Ella said "I need help" in her little voice.  She said, "I spilled."  The two around her looked at the table, saw no spill and looked at her clothes and did not see any spill.  As a comforting comment, they said you are okay, you didn’t spill.  To which Ella responded “I am not okay” in a very matter-of-fact way.  Upon further investigation, she had spilled milk on her chair. 

How many times have we responded to others in this same manner in life?  They ask for help, we glance see nothing visible to us; we offer comfort and words of encouragement, but don’t really look to see or hear what they are facing.  {During} national disasters we see the picture, see them being rescued, offer a quick comforting thought, but that is as far as it goes.  I recently read a posting on Facebook for a missing boy. It read, "Justice for Corey Haynes" and after 13 years there is not been any farther action. Are there individuals that have looked and moved on with their lives but really could offer more assistance?  Is there more we could be doing to help others?  Could we spend more time just listening to someone’s concerns?  There are so many diseases in which people suffer in silence, as their pain is not conveyed by a visible scar.  Those that suffer from depression, those that we need to spend more time with, listening (not talking), but listening to their needs. 

Prayer: Dear Father, please remind us to listen, comfort and spend time with those in need.  Let us pray for those that suffer in silence that we might somehow give them comfort. Let us look beyond to see the deeper needs of those around us. Help us to remember to give what we can to help others as you would guide us to do. Let us pray for those struggling and needing assistance on a daily basis. Help us to find the path you would want us to live. Amen

Lori Hood