“But dad, we could have more cake for us? We don’t need to share it all do we?” This coming from 2 hungry or seemingly hungry boys….
The truth was/is, we had enough; we just wanted a little more!!
Forward Friday kicks February in as “Do Good” Month. And the crazy thing is that we don’t have to do crazy things or spend a pile money. It is a matter of the heart, to see with open eyes how we can do good for somebody.
It is an amazing thing how we can affect the life trajectory of someone by showing, doing a kindness. And as always, there’s good news medicine at the end!!
Let’s Get Into This!!
I now see how “Doing Good” was in the DNA of my parents.
The “Cake” story was that each Christmas, dad would make between 25-25 Christmas cakes, (plain cake, fruit cake, plum cake) and he would give them away to people for the holidays to bless people.
At Thanksgiving and Easter, People always thought that we had all that they would receive all the time. Not so….
He would make 12 to 16 dozen hot cross buns and you guessed it, we kept 2 dozen and the rest were generously given to bless people.
I think that the seeds of “Doing Good” were implanted or really “Caught” as I saw what my parents did and it wasn’t for accolades or fame; it was exactly who they were. Day in, Day Out.
In October, I got a call from a high school friend, letting me know that his brother was sick and needed prayer and encouragement.
So, we began visiting Morris and it has been quite an experience of growth for me.
We’ve had many moments that have been special.
We went to the iconic Montreal hot dog joint, the Orange Julep and had us some dogs and fries…
We went to a Montreal Canadiens hockey game, and it was so good to see the smiles on Morris’s face!!
We watched movies in Morris’ hospital room…
But the most heart-warming moments have been the conversations and just spending time with my friend.
I remember the day in December that as I walked into parking lot after visiting Morris, and I said to myself that I will follow through on “Doing Good” by taking time to visit my friend for as long as he is able to handle my company.
One of the benefits has been that I feel better every time I leave Morris’ bedside. He can’t in one way do much for me but I have found that he has or rather the experience has sensitized me to the needs of people in greater measure.
I’ve Found That:
It’s amazing what happens when our eyes get off of ourselves. It’s not that we may not have issues we are dealing with but our eyes get off ourselves and it makes a big difference.
It’s actually a good feeling to do something for someone with no intention of receiving something back…
But many times, something good happens on the inside that we didn’t expect.
Created To Serve:
From the inside out, we were made to serve. It’s long been known that there are biological side effects for when we serve.
We can become glass half-full type people
Having a positive impact on someone else could help you change your own outlook and attitude. Experts say that performing acts of kindness boosts your mood and ultimately makes you more optimistic and positive.
Now For Some Good News Medicine
One of the most incredible stories of “Doing Good” is the story of the Good Samaritan.
There are many angles to the story but for our purposes, we angle at the “Doing Good” side of things.
Jesus was questioned by a Jewish lawyer about who our neighbor is. Jesus decides to use a parable and the Samaritan became the lead in the story. and this is a big deal because the Jews hated Samaritans.
Here’s The Story
Luke 10:30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. 31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant[a] walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. 33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,[b] telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ 36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
So here are a couple of things to takeaway as we look to “Do Good”!
Live With Our Eyes Open
The world is a face paced, quick moving place and it is so easy to overlook others. Is it not possible that maybe the ones that come into our path to show kindness to probably are not the ones we’d choose but maybe God orchestrates it so they come into our path.
Action Speaks
The Samaritan man didn’t have an emergency kit or all sorts of training when crossed paths with the man who was beaten. He reached out and helped as best he could for this man.
Care is something we do…
Being Grateful Is A Big Deal
Dad would often say, “I cried about the fact that I had no shoes until I met the man with no feet!”
Our world makes it seemingly easy to think and believe that those who struggle for any reason are weak and soft.
Whether someone is where they are because of choice or other reasons shouldn’t cause us to care less when afforded an opportunity to help someone.
Gratitude for the fact that although we’ve blown it many times, we’re still standing should cause us to be humble, grateful and want to pass grace along to someone who needs it.
Generous With Our Time
Proverbs 14:21 says, It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!
Poor is not just a money issue; poor in spirit, poor in emotions, poor in relationships, there are many who struggle in so many areas.
We’re not generous with our time to get something in return for “Doing Good”, but believing God enough to trust that what we sow (Doing Good), we will eventually Reap.
God asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves. It really matters!
The Things I Think:
I don’t know how long Morris has on this earth and I pray for his healing and recovery, but I do know that I will keep visiting him because it is good for the mind, soul and spirit.
It just causes me to be grateful for what I have, and I am also thankful that I have the ability to “Do Good”.
We all have the ability in our own spheres of connections to be a “Good Samaritan” to those around us.
This weekend’s a good time to start; will you join me? “Do Good; Wherever we can, however we can!”
Dave
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