I stood in my heels next to our Lexus as I talked with a woman on the sidewalk. She sat in her wheelchair as she told me about her recent trials. Pointing to her crunched up toes, she explained her feet hurt because she had to squeeze them into a pair of old shoes that were a size too small.
My heart remembered, “To whom much is given, much is required”.
I see it more everyday. People counting their last pennies to pay for their groceries, or taking items out of their cart in order to pay for the minimal amount of food they need. I see more and more children walking to school who have outgrown their clothing and their coats.
People are stretched financially and stressed out emotionally. Although we have our own challenges financially and emotionally as a family, we have so much in comparison. What can I do with my resources: my time, my extra change, for the good of my neighbors?
- Be aware of someone struggling to pay for their groceries in the grocery line. Discretely offer to pay for them.
- Offer to wrap gifts and help write letters at a local home for the elderly.
- Cook and deliver a meal together to someone recovering from surgery or physical limitations.
- Adopt a family in need: buy a meal card or a Target card, and deliver it anonymously.
- Collect canned foods while Christmas Caroling and deliver it to the local food shelter.
- Christmas Carol, play musical instruments or create a dance or drama for a nursing home. Give out lotion, chapsticks or personal artwork.
- Read for children at a local hospital or library.
- Whenever you buy a coat or shoes for yourself or children, give away the extra coat or shoes you own.
- Babysit for a single parent. Give mom or dad a mental break and invite their child to hang out in your home.
- Give a special needs family a break and offer to watch their child for a few hours or overnight for a much-needed getaway.
How do you serve your neighbors? What simple things can you do this week to incorporate a lifestyle of compassion?
BONNIE CHRISTENSEN
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