Do you know someone who is hurting?

Something has been on my mind for a long time, and I finally decided I needed to share it.  I saw an article on facebook today that spurred me on.  It was a story of a young woman whose husband was killed while she was pregnant with their first child.  She had to move back in with her mother and thought she was going to lose everything she owned.  The kindness of strangers proved her wrong.  She received an anonymous gift of $500, plus her husband's boss dropped by with a final paycheck, a bonus plus death benefits that her husband didn't technically qualify for.

How often do we hear, or say ourselves to someone, "If you need anything, just let me know!"?  Let me let you in on a little secret.  Usually the people who are hurting the most are NOT going to ask for help.  If they are struggling with chronic health problems, or grief, or depression, or financial hardship...they are probably in too much pain or feeling too low about themselves to reach out.  THEY need others to reach out to them!

I remember after my miscarriages, when I was really depressed, the feeling that nobody cared.  No one ever said anything to me about it or dropped by to talk or listen.  I was talking to Dennis about it one day, and he told me about all the people who had approached him about how I was doing...and if they could do anything to help.  But I didn't know that because they never approached me.

Folks, if you know someone who is hurting badly...reach out to them!  Drop in for a visit, ask them over for an evening, ask them to accompany you to some kind of activity...ANYTHING.  Don't wait for them to ask you for help.  If you know they can't pay their bills and you have more than you need, drop them a check in the mail.  Don't ask their family what you can do...they are probably struggling enough to try to figure out what THEY can do.  Reach out to them and BE THEIR FRIEND!  There is little in this world that feels worse than feeling like you are floundering to keep your head above water, and no one is there to reach out their hand.  So please, please, reach out your hand!

Mt 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

1Jo 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.