Wednesday Devotional....Standing Alone – Together...

                                                                       ...be part of the puzzle        

I am responsible for me. I know this because I was raised to live in a way that meant that I would not have to ask for help with the basic necessities of life. Barring any disasters, from nature, the economy, violence or my own bad decisions; I will be just fine.

My parents worked hard all of their lives and taught me and my sister to do the same. They each worked for the City of New York from the time I knew that they actually did something to earn the money that kept us in our comfortable home in a nice neighborhood. We did not live a glamorous life, but we had enough. I was taught little about financial success, but everything about love.

Family and friends, with a dash of faith on the side, was the life that was modeled for us. My parents could have earned higher salaries in the private sector, but they chose to be social workers. They did not talk to us about their casework and never gave me lectures about how ungrateful I was at times. Though there were times when I was a brat. But I was made aware of the incredible gifts that we had been given. I grew up in a safe home, with two parents who loved us and each other. There was plenty of good food, clean clothes, my own new shoes whenever I wanted and most of all, emotional security to fill my heart and mind with hope for the future.

So many people have grown up with people who were ill-equipped to provide or ever talk about the possibility of these things. Yet they are expected to behave as if they are happy, healthy and whole. Many get caught up in undesirable causes, just so they have someone to stand beside.

How can I expect the hurting and hopeless to think, act or respond to these times as I do? Until someone is willing to reach out in faith and obedience to do what Jesus tells us to do; the hurting and hopeless will remain that way and this will continue into the next generation.

My painful times have been bearable because of the comfort I have received from my loved ones. My hope comes from the Lord.

Because of this, I must at least do small things to try to help, until God gives me bigger things to do for Him. I must remember to keep adding these words to my daily prayers, “Lord, please make me a blessing to someone today”. And I must listen and stand beside whoever He tells me should not be standing alone.

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:4

Written by
Linda Kinnard