I was talking to my best friend on the phone the other day about an upcoming camping trip that has been organized by our church for July. Our two families have decided to split one the camp sites fees to help lessen the blow to our pockets.
About 10 minutes after we'd confirmed our plans and gotten off the phone, he called me back. He said that he was moved to pay for another camp site so that one of our other friends and his family would be able to go on this camping trip. He asked me if I would contribute to the cost in order to be a blessing to this family. I immediately agreed.
See, I've been thinking about how people rally to the aid of others after a tragedy. While this is all good and well intentioned, it makes me wonder why we seem to care so little about others
BEFORE tragedy strikes.
For example, the earthquake in Japan is horrific and people are in desperate need of food, clothing and shelter. But what about those who were in need of food, clothing and shelter
BEFORE the earthquake hit? Were they not good enough to warrant our assistance or support?
At my job, I see the short and long-term affects of neglect, abuse and overall inter-familial violence on a daily basis. Although we offer services to treat victims, we are also proactive in trying to
PREVENT abuse from happening in the first place.
Shouldn't we take the same approach in all areas of our life? Do we wait until a child is failing classes to offer ourselves as a tutor? Do we wait until a kid from our neighborhood has gone to jail before attempting to be a mentor to them? Likewise, should we wait until a friends marriage is failing to intervene with a gift to their family?I think not. So go out and give someone the gift of your attention today. You never know how it might help. This type of kindness will never kill you.
True 
Comments (1)
great point! There are always many people who could use help.