“…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” – Galatians 5:6 (NIV)
Betty was part of a cleaning crew for a local company. She was cleaning offices for a non-profit organization one afternoon. The organization specialized in helping single parents get back on their feet financially.
“I was taking out the garbage in the waiting room when I noticed how many of these parents had brought their children along. Almost all of them had at least one kid with them; sometimes they’d have several.”
When Betty looked at the room through the eyes of the child, she understood how boring it could be. “This makes the kids act up, which stresses the parents out even more, and makes them feel even worse.”
Betty went home that night determined to find a way to help. It was when she was at a local thrift shop the next day that an idea came to her. “I bought a whole bunch of gently used toys. Some of them were still in the original packaging. They’d never been played with.”
The next week when Betty arrived for her usual shift to clean, she brought a big bag of toys and several baskets. She talked to the director and received permission to place the toys in the waiting room.
“So many of the kids smiled when they saw they could play now and you could see some of the stress melting off their parents. It made me feel really good.”
God, let me be moved with compassion when I see a need. Use Your Holy Spirit to show me how to provide for that need so I can be a blessing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
