WHAT'S TO BE SCARED OF

 

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A friend once said that the one thing that we should learn is .. 'to mind our own business'.
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Really? That made me think. You see, there were those times I remember very well when I needed a helping hand... a kind word... some bit of inspiration or encouragement... someone to be there ----  but nobody bothered to be there because they were simply minding their own business like it was the best and proper thing to do - to leave me to my misery. Can you imagine if somebody just forgot about being scared and took that brave step to get in there and ask if I was okay? That would have made the big difference.
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What's to be scared of? Getting involved in other people's lives? That it might make a dent into your resources, time, energy, or take you out of your nice comfort zones? That by giving more of you -- that you become less and less? That you are not good enough or rich enough or influential enough to make a difference?
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But I have learned that the trouble lies in this simple fact that we are too tied up with the self. That after we have slaved ourselves to where we are whatever it is we take pride in, we now consider everything else as a possible threat to that. And that, to our mind, will hurt our tiny world and we don't want that.
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And here comes a cry for help... but we look the other way.
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Mind our own business.  Do you think that it is correct? Of course, we should be respecters of men and women. But it does not have to mean that we isolate ourselves from one another. That's taking it too far.  That's not why we are here.  If I can't count on you.. and ..you can't count on me ---- who will and would??
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No man is an island;  we all stand connected. You feel, I feel;  you hurt, I hurt;  you're happy, I am happy;  you grieve, I grieve. You are no better or lesser than me ... nor  I better or lesser than you.  I am you and you are me.  We keep forgetting that simple truth.  All by God's design.
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So, my dear friend, if perchance you need a prayer - and prayer is what I can give you with all my heart --- let me know!  God bless you.

YOUR SMALL CAN MEAN THE WORLD TO ANOTHER

Our world is a hurting world - its people hurting suffering struggling with so many demons real or imagined. That's us. Oh yes, we try to be strong and brave -- most times succeeding. But at the end of the day in the middle of the night, we cringe under our sheets in our cold beds fearful of the coming dawn.. afraid for what it can do to hurt us again and again.

Scary but real. We all have to wrestle with a myriad of troubles, issues, and challenges, none exempted. We have our troubles and it comes as diverse as pebbles of sand. Some of us have it in manageable terms while others simply cruise down the bumps with undeniable ease. A good number battle it out with fangs and claws as would a female tiger when her brood is imperiled by an enemy. As some others more would simply sulk away lost and defeated. Problems are like huge great weights resting on our small frail shoulders and can easily crush us forlorn and defeated down to the ground.

At this broken point we desperately look out and up from our troubles for something or someone to take our hand and help us up on our feet again. Lucky if some permanent answers would come along with it thus ending our misery and we get to move on with smiles restored on our faces.

If you know someone like that.. right there where you are, give your hand and help him up. When a friend knocks at your door carrying his cross, let him in and give him rest from his burden. When a colleague comes to your desk with eyes close to tears, drop what you're doing and listen. When you see your mother quietly sitting in a corner forlornly, go to her and give her reason to smile. When your child comes to you with a broken toy in the middle of your reports, hug your child and fix that toy. When the maid asks for a leave to run to her ailing parent, grant it without any moment's hesitation or rebuke. When someone in your neighborhood comes to you for a small loan to buy medicines for her sick child, give even if that money was supposed to be for a nice dress you saw at the mall yesterday.

Small things - yes. But you'll never know how much it means to that person.

Someone kind and gentle said this....

"The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay."