Peering Through Life's Window

 Love Much As we’ve grown more distanced from each other, many of us still strive to help others. We’re doing it more and more through charities, online giving, and programs in our churches, but we’re all so busy surviving with almost no extra time, we often gloss over the little things, the simple gestures and kindnesses that bind human to human.  When we’re overburdened ourselves with life’s demands growing more difficult each day, we’re often mentally marking things off of our list, so it doesn’t occur to us to smile at each other.  Sometimes we’re having such a hard time keeping up with the day’s demands, listening to another person whose heart is troubled doesn’t occur to us, but it can mean so much.  If we’re pre-occupied, we can overlook that spur of the moment need that jumps out at us from nowhere.  These are little things, but they’re often important to the person who needs a bit of help. One day in a crowded restaurant where people place their orders ...

It snowed in Georgia on Christmas day. It was the first time we’d had a white Christmas in over one hundred years. I think the birds were as surprised as we were. The area around the bird feeder in our backyard looked like an aviary. I was glad that my husband, Rick, checks and fills it every day. The cardinals, wrens, nuthatches and English sparrows found what they needed. They stayed with us for a long time and came in flocks throughout the day. I couldn’t help but think of Luke 12:24, “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet, God feeds them…” That day the birds got a little help from Rick. I recalled the rest of the verse, “And how much more valuable you are than birds!” If we feed the birds, shouldn’t we help one another? Matthew 22: 37 - 39, “Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”