PUTTING YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION
CAN I MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE ELSES LIFE
Each and every one of us has the ability to make a difference in some one else's life. The path we walk along changes every day, there is always a family in every neighborhood that is need, always a hungry person who could use a meal to eat, or a stranger curled up on a cold park bench without a friend in the world to share his grief with. We can not wipe away all the hurt in the world, nor mend every broken heart along life's way, but if we take the time, and put our faith into action, we will find the need god calls us to and the ability to lend a hand. Through small deeds, we can make a huge difference in the lives of others.
Our deeds do not have to be large scale involving a good sum of money, just a tiny seed of compassion will often surfice. Nearly every neighborhood in America has at least one family struggling with bills, or having a hard time putting three meals a day on the table. Simply leaving a bag of caned goods in their doorway with a tiny note, GOD BLESS is one way of putting your faith into action.
Another way is to locate a nearby elderly project or low income housing project and leave a bag of assorted caned goods in the laundry room, with a note, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THESE ITEMS IF YOU HAVE A NEED.
Have you ever walked into a soup kitchen and sat down with the truly needy, looked into their eyes and listened to their stories? I have made it a point to do this with my children, and they have a deep sense of all the hurt out there in the world. It is not the act of sharing a meal, but rather the act of listening which is important here. Many people who you find at soup kitchens desperately want to talk to someone, anyone, who will lend an ear.
Don't buy into the myth that these people are all drug addicts and boozers, because it simply isn't true. That is a good safty valve to use as an excuse not to put your faith into action, but it is false. Yes, there are people who have a serious drinking problem, and yes, there are some drug addicts, but in there you will also find the person or family who lost their job, and then their house, and live on the streets due to hard times.
Let me tell you about one visit to the soup kitchen I took with my wife and kids. We were seated, making small talk with those around us, when a lady walked in with three young children. It was very clear they had been living off the streets for a while, and they sat at the far end of the table, as if to distance themselves from everyone else. The rolls and food was passed around, and it was then we realized just how hungry this family really was. They attacked the food as though it was the last meal on earth, grabbing at dinner rolls and stuffing them into their pockets. It was pretty hard to eat from that point on, but after a while, the pastor in charge that day walked over and whispered into the woman's ears. He then went back into the kitchen, only to return a short time later with two bags of food which he placed by her. She thanked him, then she began to open up with her own story.
Her husband had taken up with another woman, and one day tossed her and the kids out of the house. She did not know what to do or where to turn, and thus began a life of living on the streets. They had gone several days with very little to eat. The pastor said he would help make sure her and the kids got into housing and off the streets.
This is only one of many such stories I have heard by taking one hour out every now and then and listening to those i need. By experiencing our faith, no one will ever be able to convince us these people want to live this way.
But maybe dropping food off in some one's doorway, or sitting down with the homeless at a soup kitchen is too much of a load for you to bear, God has still provided you with a means of putting your faith into action. Visit your local nursing home, and simply ask if there is someone there who you can come in and visit every now and then and read to. There is a desperate need in this area, and it costs you nothing other then an hour every now and then.
Listen to your heart, and listen to God's call, and put your faith into action and make an impact in some one else's life.
REVIEW OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK CAMPGROUNDS
