Helping the Hurting & the Helpless

I've been thinking a lot lately about how we as a society (and yes, me specifically) get so caught up in ourselves that we miss the needs of others or become callous to their needs. From the homeless person on the corner to the single mom in need of assistance, to the handicapped person who we could give some assistance to, to the person who's going through a tough time after the loss of loved one and so much more. I know I am so often in "on a mission" mode that I don't even see the needs around me - much less actively seek them out.

I have recently tried to make it a point to start watching for these opportunities, and to do something to make a difference - No I'm not trying to pat myself on the back or look for applause - just to make ua all think a little. I often pray, "God, help me to see the people you bring across my path today and to get out of my comfort zone to do something to help" - it may be just simple thing like a smile and a kind word, to pray with/for them, an offer to help them carry something - it may be some money to meet a need or a hot meal. The point is that I stop walking through life with the blinders on and see the faces and the needs of people around me and take action. God did not bless us just for ourselves - he blessed us so that we would be a blessing to others in need.

Isaiah 1:17 "learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.