A Mother’s Choice

None of her friends or family understands why she has done it, and most of them would like to shake her out of her foolishness. Their objections make sense. After all, May is in her mid-forties and has been living alone ever since her daughter moved out. May is also in debt. And yet, here she is, raising her ex-husband’s child by another woman.
May married early and was divorced by her early twenties, but even before that, she had been raising her first child alone, as her ex-husband had a drug addiction and spent as much time in prison as out.

Then twenty-some years later, he reappeared out of the blue and asked for a favor. He had fathered a new baby with another woman, and he wanted May to arrange for the baby to be taken into an orphanage before he went to jail again. Little Joline had been abandoned by her mother, and it seemed she was destined for a childhood spent in an institution.

Instead of that, May arranged to keep the baby and has been raising her for the past five years. It hasn’t been easy. May is working hard to make ends meet, and Joline is a handful. But May is undeterred.

“People have been telling me what a big burden Joline is, and how she isn’t worth the sacrifices I make to look after her. But no one ever asks me how I feel or really listens to why I’m doing this.

“After my last failed relationship, I felt I had lost everything to live for and that I’d never have a normal family. But when I first saw Joline’s smile and felt her little hand clasp one of my fingers, I knew then that there was someone who loved me and needed me. Joline is not a burden, she’s my source of love and joy.”

Just then, Joline came over and placed her arms around May’s neck and kissed her cheeks. “I love you, Mommy. You’re the best in the world!” May’s face lit up as the proud mother she is.

It dawned on me then. May was right, even though others had misjudged her. Rather than letting life’s misfortunes and struggles drag her into a spiral of self-pity, she had chosen to focus on giving what she still had. And in doing so, she also found the happiness that had been eluding her.

One of the greatest gifts my father gave me—unintentionally—was witnessing the courage with which he bore adversity. He was always unshaken, completely tranquil, the same ebullient, laughing, jovial man.
—Ben Okri (b. 1959)

Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.
—Voltaire (1694–1778)

—

John 16:33 ESV / I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

James 1:19-20 ESV / Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 5:7 ESV / Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Prayer Points

Please intercede for the following:

1) Corps family: Bro Ong Soon Bee, Goh Wei Lin and Ethan Ong

2) School mid term break, families on holiday

3) Flag Day, Helping Hand Project, Upcoming Penang Open Day

Announcement

Corps Programme On Hold  - School Mid Term Break
Kindly be informed that there will be no Sunday School, Youth Fellowship and Cell Group during the school mid term break.

Territorial Music and Arts Camp
Date: 9-13th June 2015 (Tues-Sat) / Venue: Port Dickson.
Please see Corps Officer for packing list.

Helping Hand Project
Recipient: Women & Children of Bangladesh
Target: RM2500
Recycling Programme: "Save the Environment to help others"
We encourage all to bring any recyclable items to the Corps for this great project. (May - June)

Goodness in Action

It is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness and I pronounce it as certain that there was never a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.
—John Wesley (1703–1791)

Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier.
—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965)

Freedom, morality, and the human dignity of the individual consists precisely in this; that he does good not because he is forced to do so, but because he freely conceives it, wants it, and loves it.
—Mikhail Bakunin (1814–1876)

In life, you can never do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

Goodness is love in action, love with its hand to the plow, love with the burden on its back, love following His footsteps who went about continually doing good.
—James Hamilton

Do not say that if the people do good to us, we will do good to them; and if the people oppress us, we will oppress them; but determine that if people do you good, you will do good to them; and if they oppress you, you will not oppress them.
—Muhammad (570–632)

Conquer a man who never gives by gifts; subdue an untruthful man by truthfulness; vanquish an angry man by gentleness; and overcome an evil man by goodness.
—Indian proverb

It is not what they profess but what they practice that makes them good.
—Greek proverb

The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

Good is a product of the ethical and spiritual artistry of individuals; it cannot be mass-produced.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)

To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910)

Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

Practice, Practice, Practice
Life is not a holiday, but an education. What makes a person a good tennis player? Practice. What makes a person a good artist, a good sculptor, a good musician? Practice. What makes a person a good linguist? Practice. What makes a person a good person? Practice. Nothing else. If a person does not exercise his arm he develops no biceps muscle; and if a person does not exercise his soul, he acquires no muscle in his soul, no strength of character, no vigor of moral fiber, no beauty of spiritual growth.

Love is not a thing of enthusiastic emotion. It is a rich, strong, vigorous expression of the whole round Christian character—the Christlike nature in its fullest development. And the constituents of this great character are only to be built up by ceaseless practice.
—Adapted from Henry Drummond (1851–1897), Scottish evangelist, writer, and lecturer

—

Galatians 6:10 ESV / So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

1 Peter 3:9 ESV / Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

1 John 3:18 ESV / Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Martha’s Transformation

I first met Martha as she was sitting on a bench in the park where I was taking my baby for a walk. My husband and I had been married for two years, and we had just had our first child. Martha was staring vacantly into space and didn’t acknowledge me when I sat down to tend to my lively eight-month-old boy who already didn’t want to stay put in his stroller.

When she saw him, Martha’s expression came alive, and she smiled at me and the baby. I struck up a conversation with her, and found out that she was a retired nurse and midwife. She was slim and petite, and although in her 60s, she still wore her hair in shoulder-length soft waves. She told me how she had never gotten married but always loved babies and had delivered hundreds of them.

As we continued talking, she explained that she had taken a leave of absence from her work due to long hours and a demanding schedule. Later, I learned that she had actually had a nervous breakdown, and that as she struggled with her recovery and recurring depression, her temporary leave of absence had become permanent.

She explained that she enjoyed coming to the park because being out in nature made her feel at peace. I shared with Martha how Jesus had once said, “Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” and before leaving the park that day, Martha prayed to receive Jesus as her Savior.

From that point on, Martha was a changed creature. She began studying the Bible and was soon spending most of her time helping others, while her bouts with depression grew fewer and further apart.

About a year later, Martha showed up at our door with a plastic baby bathtub packed full of items for a newborn. “This is for you,” she said with a knowing smile. “Congratulations on being pregnant again!”

I was dumbfounded. I hadn’t yet told anyone except my husband that I was pregnant again. But somehow Martha knew. And she had taken the time to gather a lovely surprise present for me and the new little one on the way.
When the time came, my husband and I were overjoyed at the addition of a healthy baby boy to our family. After the delivery, however, some complications set in and I developed an infection and fever. Fortunately, it didn’t affect my newborn, so he could stay in my bedroom with me, while my husband cared for our older son. I wasn’t alone, though: When Martha heard about my condition, she immediately packed a bag and moved into my sickroom with me.

For the next two weeks, she was at my side day and night, caring for me constantly. After I’d finish nursing, she’d take the baby from my side, change his diaper, and put him to sleep in his bed. Martha prepared nourishing meals that helped build up my strength, and gradually the fever and infection began to subside. Through it all, Martha was a pillar of comfort and encouragement, talking with me, reading to me, and praying for me.

Martha continued to be a frequent visitor to our home, until one day she came with some serious news. She had been diagnosed with cancer and needed to enter the hospital right away. In spite of all that the medical profession could do, Martha passed away calmly and peacefully not long after.

One of Martha’s favorite Bible verses was: “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” Martha had found her Savior, and from that moment on, the light of His love had shone ever brighter in her life and had inspired her to become more like Him.

—

John 8:12 ESV / Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Proverbs 4:18 ESV / But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Romans 12:9 ESV / Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Goodness—the Exemplary Frui

Christians are expected to be good people. In fact, many non-Christians expect more from Christians than they do from themselves or anyone else. Jesus Himself told His first followers, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” That doesn’t mean we are to act in a self-righteous goody-two-shoes way. That isn’t the goodness Jesus gives. Rather it is genuine goodness of the heart shown in honesty, empathy, helpfulness, and a multitude of other ways.

Sad to say, as Christians we can take on the mistaken idea we’re supposed to be perfect, which no one is, of course, or can be. We’re far better off just doing the best we can, honestly and humbly admitting our faults and mistakes, and then giving God the glory for anything good we do. That’s His idea of goodness.
If you do your best and trust God for the rest, His goodness will shine through.
Sinning Saints
God’s idea of goodness is often quite different from ours. King David plotted the death of another man so he could have his wife. But David knew he was a sinner whose only hope was the love, mercy, and forgiveness of God, and because he repented greatly and loved God all the more after what he had gone through, God called David a man after His own heart. God took the apostle Paul, a fanatical persecutor of the early Christians, and made him one of the greatest Christians of all time. Jesus took a demon-possessed harlot, Mary Magdalene, and made her one of His favorite followers.

God’s idea of goodness is not sinless perfection. It’s a sinner who knows he has no righteousness of his own, but depends totally on the goodness of God. These are the only saints there are; there are no others!

—

Matthew 5:14-16 ESV / “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Luke 8:2-3 ESV / and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

James 1:17 ESV / Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

My Life’s Heroes

It was 1977, and Karl and I had left Germany in a camper the previous year. Our journey had already taken us through Italy, what was then Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and India. We hoped to make it to Nepal next, buy a mountain farm there, and settle in a peaceful life away from modern society.

Our budget was tight, and we usually ate at small roadside cafés or bought food from local market stalls, so perhaps it was not surprising that I contracted viral hepatitis. We had reached a lovely bay on the Goan coastline, but unfortunately there was no medical care nearby, and my health deteriorated quickly. Some local villagers noticed my desperate state and took to visiting daily to feed me a diet of papaya and fresh coconut milk. Thanks to their help, I recovered and got back on my feet, 10 kilos lighter, but healthy again.

When we finally made it to Nepal, we eagerly joined a Buddhist monastery for a trial period, but didn’t find what we were looking for. I believed there was something bigger than me, but I was confused. Which God should I pray to? I often wondered while gazing at the multitude of stars in the clear mountain sky.

It was Karl’s turn to contract hepatitis next. By that time, we were back in India, and I drove all night, while Karl was sprawled in the back of the camper with a high fever. In the early morning, I found a lodge where some young European travelers were staying. One of them, David, spoke German, and he helped us find a doctor and a room to rent.

David also decided to stay a few days with us. “Let me read to you from the book that changed my life,” he said when we met the following day.

Reading a short passage from God’s Word became a daily routine while Karl regained his strength. Before David left, he introduced me to his Savior, Jesus, and as a result His words from the Bible became my guiding light from that day onwards.

The Goan villagers were poverty-stricken strangers, but their compassion and concern saved my life. David was a stranger, but it’s thanks to him that I found purpose and direction. My circumstances today are a result of the combined kindnesses of those selfless strangers I met in India that autumn.

—

John 13:34-35 ESV / A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Galatians 6:10 ESV / So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

James 2:14-17 ESV / What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Quarks in His Glory

Peter and I were taking a few days’ break at a small beach town. One late afternoon, I was taking a walk along the beach, when I looked up to find one of the most stunningly beautiful scenes taking shape before my eyes.
The scattered clouds began to take on pastel hues of peach, violet, and gold against the deepening blue of the sky. I love sunsets, but every once in a great while I encounter one that is so awe-inspiring that I can’t take my eyes off it. And the Great Painter was certainly getting my attention with this one. It was as if He was pouring liquid colored light into each cloud. The colors crept higher and higher until they seemed to overflow, and their streams became a living, swirling kaleidoscope of ever-changing beauty.

Everything else faded into unimportance alongside this masterpiece developing before my eyes. Gently, the expanding display flowed downward until it seemed to swallow up the ocean, turning it into a sea of vibrant colors, soft and smooth like a mirror in the distance, and spraying showers of golden light as the waves shattered on the sand just a few feet from where I stood. I felt immersed in its beauty. It was as if the sunset were communicating God’s encouragement and love to me.

The colors began to spill down in darker hues onto a promontory crowned with a small peak that jutted out into the water some distance away. It was as though the flow of living light had splashed over the edge of the sky onto the peak and the buildings dotting it, transforming them temporarily into glowing gems of iridescent reds and golds.

The vivid transformation of the sky gradually shifted from soft pastel hues to deeper and richer shades of blood red and burgundy, splashed with royal blues and copper streaks. Finally, after what must have been fifteen minutes, but had seemed like mere moments, the grand display began to recede. Its glory slipped peacefully into the gentle mists of the evening to paint the world another day.

As I stood there in the growing dusk, like a little child whose mind had been awed by the grand finale of a massive fireworks display, hoping against hope that it might all start over again, it struck me that this astoundingly glorious and impossibly complex show of power and beauty was a mere thought, a twinkle in the eye of God. It was only a tiny speck in the immensity of His abilities—just a mere quark in the vast universe of His power. If this small and fleeting moment stirred my soul like this and left me speechless with its awesome beauty, how could I possibly imagine or comprehend the Creator of it, who could gloriously splash the sky with such grandeur and wipe it clean in a moment, as if it was just His aura or atmosphere as He passed by.

We get so caught up sometimes in our earthbound realm, fretting and worrying that we are all alone in our troubles and have to try to solve them on our own. But at moments like this, the resounding reality that we are deeply loved by one who can explode the sky into such beauty with nothing more than a passing thought reminds me of just whom it is that I’m trusting in. What God said to me through that glorious heavenly art was, “I can create anything. I can sustain anything. I can protect anyone. I can solve any problem. I am beauty. I am power. I am love, and I do this for you.”

Times like this help me to remember that this same all-powerful one who creates such momentary grandeur for His creations is closely attuned to our tiniest needs and desires, guiding and caring for us in ways big and small. How could we ever worry that He might forget us, or that He might not be in absolute, perfect control of every detail of our lives?

When comes the golden sunset
That trails God’s way on high,
And with its radiant splendor
Illumes the evening sky,
How are the hills and valleys
Aglow with crimson rays,
While nature’s deep toned organ
Lifts heavenward its praise:

“Holy, holy!” Angel voices sing it;
“Holy, holy!” Cloudy pinions wing it;
“Holy, holy!” Gleaming towers ring it;
“Holy, holy, is the Lord most high.”

So God reveals at sunset
The grandeur of His throne,
The deeper, fuller glory
Reserved to be our own;
And in that hour’s unfolding
Forgot are fear and pain
In love’s abounding solace,
In heaven’s great refrain.

Then come, blest hour of sunset,
Along the golden way,
And thrill us with the splendors
That fill life’s perfect day.
God is the end of living,
He satisfies the soul,
And they who seek His glory
Will find in Him their goal.
—Calvin W. Laufer (1874–1938)

—

Genesis 1:1 ESV / In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 ESV / Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

John 1:1 ESV / In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

A True Good Samaritan

Recently, after reading an article on the BBC News website, I found myself faced with a few tough questions. The article, a modern-day “Good Samaritan” tale, is worth checking out as an inspiring example of the impact one sincere loving deed can have.

Reading this story made me evaluate my own track record of late. Would I have done the same? Would I be willing to risk my job to help a stranger in need? Unsatisfied with my replies, I also tried some less dramatic-sounding questions. Would my friends say I’m someone who lends a helping hand? Have I done any purely altruistic deeds recently?

If I’m really honest with myself, I’d have to say I’m more often than not absorbed in my own world. I think we all have days when we become a little too focused on our own problems, issues and desires, days when we walk through life staring at our feet instead of looking up and out and around us. I’m reminded of the painfully honest quote: “There are two kinds of egotists: those who admit it, and the rest of us.”

So I guess for“the rest of us” it’s healthy to be reminded every now and then about the world around us, about the needs of others, about the power of love; to stop and have a little chat with our conscience and see how we fare. There are lives we could touch if we’d look outward more, and sometimes we may need to hit the pause button and take a look around in order to do so.

The great thing is that we can reach out with love no matter where we live, what job we have, or what direction our life is going. I think this will be my prayer for some time to come.
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks [with] compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks [with] compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
—Attributed to Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

—

Matthew 6:33 ESV / But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Romans 12:2 ESV / Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Luke 12:34 ESV / For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Good—Or Upright?

I recently came across an interesting verse that fits with this issue’s main theme of goodness. I had read it before, but this time it made more of an impression on me.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul says, “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.” The New King James Version uses “righteous” instead of “upright.”

That got me thinking. What’s the difference between an upright or righteous person and a good one? Theologian John Gill suggests Paul meant that the former is someone who is outwardly moral and keeps to the letter of the law, whereas a good person goes beyond their duty.

I think the secret is simply that goodness is righteousness mixed with genuine concern for others. Without God’s love to motivate us, we can’t be good, but with it, we’re able to go beyond simply doing the right thing, and make a more lasting difference.

Of course, Jesus is the only one who is fully good, but He expects us to try to imitate Him in our lives and actions. He said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart.” If we fill ourselves with His goodness and His love, we will be able to pass that on to others as well, to do good to all, whenever we have the opportunity.

—

Romans 5:7 ESV / For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—

Galatians 6:10 ESV / So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

John 18:36 ESV / Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

The Unsung Hero

The story of the boy who gave his lunch to the disciples to share with the multitude is well known. Jesus took the five small loaves and two fishes, blessed the food which was multiplied miraculously, and thousands of hungry people were satisfied. Who was the little boy? What was his name? What was the name of his thoughtful mother who provided the packed lunch? These details are not provided.

Unsung heroes quietly performing simple acts of kindness provide the backdrop to so many miracles of deliverance, healing, and supply. Consider the men who carried their paralyzed friend on his bed; they were so eager to bring him to Jesus for healing, they opened up part of the roof to get him into the crowded house.

The bearers who were carrying the body of the widow’s son stood still at Jesus’ command and witnessed the miracle of the young man’s return to life. And we cannot forget the friends of the centurion who bore the message to Jesus, pleading in his stead for healing for the centurion’s devoted servant. Upon their return, they found the servant healed.

These nameless individuals showed kindness, often more than duty demanded. There is no record of them receiving thanks or reward. Their kindness was from the heart.

You’ve probably guessed the topic for this issue’s exercise: Make it a point over the coming week to do a kindness for someone—a colleague, friend, family member, or stranger—without telling anyone what you’ve done or expecting anything in return. Better still, try to do this every week. You may not witness an outstanding miracle, but you will have brought a smile to somebody else.
Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.—Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997)

Born Anew
A single moment surely
Will be my fixed desire:
To pour the ruddy fire
Of wine of kindness down throats parched;
To overturn, spill joy upon the scorched,
Hate-caked mud of earth.
Their joy will be my birth!
My only peace, their peace,
Their pleasure brings me ease,
Their dream will be my dream.
And my heartbeat the throb
Of hearts that beat with God.
Sound that ringing through infinity
Each day calls echoes of divinity:
“Today I’m born anew!”
— Amado Nervo (1870–1919), translated from the original Spanish

—

Colossians 3:12 ESV / Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

2 Corinthians 6:6 ESV / By purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV / Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Change the World

Question: I’d like to do more to improve things around me, but I don’t feel there’s a lot I can do. Changing the world seems like such a huge task—how to know where to start?

Answer: The good news is you don’t need to be someone powerful or famous to make a difference. Each positive change—no matter how small—is changing the world for the better. We can change the world by improving the lives of those around us, through deeds of kindness and consideration, and by showing faith in them. Here are some practical tips to help get you started changing your part of the world, one heart at a time.

Build up excellence. Try to think of at least one thing that you find outstanding in a person, and then make it your task to let them know. Don’t be shy; they won’t get tired of hearing it. What you’re doing is building confidence in that one area, and as they gain confidence, they will start to improve in other areas as well.

Share the responsibility. Give others responsibility in the areas in which they are strong. Make them feel trusted, needed, and appreciated.

Appreciate who they are. Appreciating others for what they do is important, and people like to be thanked and acknowledged for it, but being appreciated for a personal trait feels a lot nicer than only being appreciated for the outcome of that trait.

Keep appreciation simple and doable. Don’t feel that you need to have wonderfully warm feelings about a person, or be their best friend and really know them deeply before you can make a difference in someone’s life. You can be a near stranger and still have a marvelous effect on someone.

Slow down. It takes time to see people in a new light. Go slower in your interactions with people and give God a chance to reveal His perspective.

Pause to meditate. Think of the positive ways that someone has helped you. You will have a change in how you view others, because you will have taken the time to go deeper, past the surface assumptions that are so easy to make.

Let go of the past. Everyone dislikes being labeled or put in a box. Be willing to see who the person is today or the potential of what they can be tomorrow, and don’t let your view be marred by your past experiences.

—

Ephesians 5:19 ESV / Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

John 8:16-18 ESV / Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

John 4:24 ESV / God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Net Worth and the Breeding Patterns of the Common Hug

The signs were nothing but rectangles of white-painted plywood adorned with bright red words proclaiming, “abrazos gratis” (“free hugs”), along with flowers, hearts, and other cheerful splotches of eye-catching color. We drove to our rendezvous point at a nearby university campus to meet up with the rest of our crew, and then struck out around downtown Guadalajara, Mexico, to search for strangers upon whom to shower random acts of kindness.

Signs held high, we fanned out, an advancing army of affection. “Would you like a free hug?” was our battle cry.

Our first real challenge was at the rolling concrete waves of a skateboarder hangout. Sweaty youths were taking turns trying to impress their peers with various amateur stunts, to the tune of cheers and jeers from their grungy audience. There is a sort of fearlessness that comes with free-hugging, so we swarmed into their midst and conquered. With every hug also came a free tract, and if they stopped for long enough, a prayer.

Next, we flocked to the park across the street, another teen hotbed, with all the favorite youth demographics present and accounted for. A group of Goth girls shyly motioned us over and we invaded their auras of black shades with our pastels and neons, spreading smiles all around.

We sang a few simple songs to small groups of people, music with a message of love and appreciation. The last chorus was of course always punctuated with our trademark embraces.

As we crisscrossed the center of town, a man in a restaurant paused in his meal as the waitresses and hostesses rushed by him to receive their hug helpings, along with seconds, thirds, and refills. He called us in and quizzed us about why we were doing such a thing. We were simply aware of the importance of showing love and kindness, we told him, and in a world starving for love, a little more of that couldn’t hurt.

And our agenda?—Jesus loves people. We wanted to make sure they knew it.

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Galatians 5:22-23 ESV / But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

John 15:16 ESV / You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

1 Peter 3:15 ESV / But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Boomerang

When I was a little girl, I went to my first circus. There, before my awestruck eyes, were three rings in full action—performing animals in one, and acrobats leaping and flying through the air in another. What interested me most, though, was taking place in the third ring. A girl and a boy were flinging brightly colored missiles, which, after they had crossed the ring, turned and returned to the very hands that had flung them. No matter which direction they were thrown, the things curved and came back swiftly to the young performers, who would catch and fling them again.

I watched in amazement. “They are boomerangs,” someone beside me said. It was the first time I had heard the word, and I tucked it away in my young mind.

I’ve heard the word many times since, of course, and I’ve also seen the principle behind it play out in life. In fact, life itself is a boomerang. God’s Word says, “A man reaps what he sows.” Every word or action we fling out comes back some day. Whether good or bad, it will return to us, and it often gains momentum as it does.

One morning I visited two women in the same hospital. One room was filled with flowers and cards and all sorts of gifts from friends and acquaintances, thoughtful gestures of love, concern, and sympathy. That was a reflection of her life, for she had sown love and thoughtfulness throughout the years, and now it was all coming back to her in her hour of need.

In a room down the hall, another woman lay alone. Still as self-absorbed, suspicious, and critical as she had always been, she lay with her face turned to the wall—a wall as hard and cold and bare as the ones she had built around herself all her life.
What a difference there was in those two rooms! The boomerang had come back to both women, but in very different ways.

“If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.” Anyone who lives unselfishly, caring for and lifting the burdens of others, easing their pain, and helping to supply their needs, will see that boomerang come back in the form of blessings some day!

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Galatians 6:7 ESV / Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Luke 6:38 ESV / give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Galatians 1:10 ESV / For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Pausing to Care

I don’t know how she did it, but the cashier’s eyes peered right into mine. I’d been discovered. I had tried to avoid eye contact as I was finishing the grocery shopping. More embarrassing than being seen in public coping with a rare meltdown would be someone discovering the “nothing to cry about” interaction that had triggered it.

I was holding it together—as long as I didn’t have to talk. My husband tried to phone me, but I couldn’t respond. It would have been messy (and noisy) if I attempted to communicate anything at all.

Then it was my turn at the checkout. I knew from past experience that in this store the cashiers work like automatons, processing items in a jiffy. That was fine by me. I was ready for the speedy processing and looked forward to getting out of there as soon as possible—before I let it all out.

Then she had to ask me, “How’s it going?” And it wasn’t a casual don’t-care-what-you-say greeting. She actually wanted an answer.

“It’s nothing, nothing…” I tried to say, wanting to just get on with it. But for the first time ever—I mean ever, in that store—the kind woman cashier wouldn’t touch a single item of my shopping waiting to be scanned until I told her what that problem was.

Yes, there were people in line waiting, and her skill at her job was no doubt being monitored. But I was made to feel more important than everything else. I was shocked. Somehow it cushioned the embarrassment I would have felt blubbering about it.

If I could have said something like, “I found out I have breast cancer” or “My best friend died,” I would have felt justified in raking in as much sympathy as possible. But I knew that sharing what had actually happened just wouldn’t have the same pathos. Yet I got the impression that this woman who cared enough to sincerely ask how I was doing was going to treat me with compassion, no matter what in the world I was sniveling about—just because I was important to her.

Seeing I wasn’t going to get out of it, I responded briefly, “I kept someone waiting in line at another store, and she made a big deal of it!”

My day had started at 3 am, when my baby woke and couldn’t fall back asleep, and the tiredness and stress had coalesced at the wrong time and place!

First, it turned out that I shouldn’t have been in the express line, because I had miscalculated the number of items in my basket and ended up with several more than the limit. Then when it was time to pay, I went blank and couldn’t remember my PIN number! The next lady in line wouldn’t let up and began verbally harassing me. Meanwhile, the cashier continued her patient reminders that, “You just need to enter your PIN, Ma’am.”

I found out that there is something more stressful than being late and having a customer in front of you hold up the line—that is being that customer! I finally stepped aside for a moment to pray, and thankfully, the number came back to me. After apologizing to the lady behind me—whose response was cold and unforgiving—I quietly left, tearing up.

The contrast between what happened in that checkout lane and in the second shop was stark. After I had experienced being misunderstood, unforgiven, pressured, put under stress, treated as though I was the root of the world’s problems, this woman made me feel important and cared for, worth more than time or money. The kind lady even ran off to get me a handful of tissues. All embarrassment was covered in a warm blanket of care.

The world doesn’t usually pause because I have a tear to shed, and it felt good when it did! I was reminded how important love is, and how painful and hurtful it can be when we are so focused on what we have to do that we neglect to make those around us feel important.
During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. “Absolutely,” the professor said. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello.” I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned our cleaner’s name was Dorothy. —Joann C. Jones

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Ephesians 4:32 ESV / Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Mark 6:34 ESV / When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

Genesis 6:6 ESV / And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

The Gift of Listening

I had just moved to a new country with my husband and family. That meant new schools for the children and a new job for my husband. It was a difficult time of adjustment for all of us, but I was especially feeling the strain. My marriage was feeling it, too. There was a growing list of subjects that my husband and I stopped talking about, because we knew they would lead to arguments.

But then I got to know Toni.

Toni was my next-door neighbor. She had a family of small children, and her husband only worked sporadically. She was the glue holding their family together. And that was a full-time job.

Somehow, though, she always had time for me. Whenever things got to be too much at home, I knew I could always go to Toni.

I would knock on her door, and she would usher me in with a welcoming smile. She would stop whatever she was in the middle of doing and sit down with me, letting me pour out all my troubles and woes. Then she’d do the best thing a friend can. Simply but with all her heart, she would pray for everything I’d just burdened her with and commit it all into God’s hands.

That’s how I learned the secret of how Toni could always stay so calm, and where she found the patience to always hear me out. Instead of trying to carry the weight of my troubles along with her own, Toni had learned how to cast her cares on the Lord and let Him sustain her.

The Lord and His Word were a very real part of her life. They were what helped her through the difficult times, as well as what gave her the capacity to reach out to others in their need, like me.

Since then, Toni and I have parted ways. Our children have grown up, and my husband and I have since reconnected. But I’ll never forget her kindness in always having time for me. Looking back, I can see that she was instrumental in helping me make the right decisions at a turning point in my life. I was like the man left by the wayside, emotionally beaten up and robbed, and Toni was like the Good Samaritan who rescued me.

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1 John 5:19 ESV / We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

1 John 4:18 ESV / There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

1 John 4:4 ESV / Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.