I've read this passage before and have often pondered on whether or not the Lord would say that of me when I go before Him. I sure hope so. I have to be honest and admit that my comparisons to Mother Theresa said that I didn't stand a chance. How can I even come close? But, as I've said before, this is the area that I'm working on...perfection. The strive to be perfect or at least appear to be, is quite stifling.
Yesterday I was shown how much of a difference small things can make. All summer long Dylan wanted to visit his friend from school. He had given his friend our phone number and told him to have his mom call me so that they could get together. But, typical second grader, he either forgot or lost the number. He never called. Dylan, who is as persistent as they get, wanted to go to his house anyway (even though we didn't know where this boy lived). So the summer went by, not without the occasional request to drive by the streets surrounding the school looking for a glimpse of Julian.
The boys are back in school and to Dylan's delight, his friend is in his class! Yesterday was "meet the teacher day" and parents also got a chance to meet each other. I met Julian's mom and took the opportunity to tell her how much Dylan really likes her son and that he had been wanting to play with him all summer. She told me that Julian's dad passed away of a sudden heart attack 5 months ago. I could see the sadness in her face as she spoke. My heart broke and a reality hit. The boy who needed an extra friend , some distraction this summer, had a friend that was eagerly seeking him. My heart was touched at how amazing God is. Here are two little boys who happen to like each other, who God put together because they would need each other. No one can understand the bittier sting of the loss of a significant loved one than someone who has felt that same loss.
The boys spent time playing and I spent time talking to Julian's mother. Here is a courageous mother of four (ranging from 3 to 17), who is still making payments for her husband's funeral from her Jack-in-the Box salary, rasing four kids, trying to learn how to drive......how humbling.
Sometimes we forget the world around us. Sometimes we think that we need to go across the world to make a difference. If we just take our eyes off ourselves for a bit, we would realize that the need is all around us. Perhaps its your neighbor, someone in your own family, or maybe your child's best friend. I thank God that I took the time to hear what God was trying to tell me yesterday. Change begins close to home. It can be so subtle that no one even knows what you did. But one person does...and that's all that matters.
Blessings to you all and I hope that this story has made you as grateful as it did me.
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