You Never Know

Did you have a good Christmas?” we asked the waiter at our favorite Mexican restaurant in early January. He hesitated, then said, “It was OK.” We asked if he was all right. He then told us it had been a year since he had lost his younger brother. Tears were in his eyes; we shared a special moment with him.

Later that same week, we encountered several other people who were going through challenges. It is so important to greet people wherever you are and ask how they are doing. Why? Because doing so can change someone’s life. I pray daily that I can always be a blessing to others. Sometimes just a smile, a quick greeting, or a hug can make a difference in a person’s day. And I have found that when I am feeling down and other people ask me how I am doing, it always makes me feel better. My sister had an experience years ago with a man she was dating.

They decided one evening to walk to a lake in their hometown. It was getting dark. They had a flashlight, but they didn’t switch it on.

They soon discovered they were in total darkness yet sensed someone was nearby. They called out and asked if someone was there.

When a man answered, they started a dialogue.

They stood for over two hours talking to him.

Eventually, all moved on. But it wasn’t until they got back to a lighted parking lot that the man revealed he had a gun. “I had planned on committing suicide tonight,” he told them. “But your interest in talking to me saved my life.” We never know what people are going through. Sometimes we mistake someone’s gruff attitude as an indication that the person is mean or uncaring; then, we find out this person is going through a big challenge in life. In church, sometimes we put on our Sabbath happy faces, even though we may be going through a difficult time in our lives. During those times, it is so important to talk to someone and ask for help. God is always with us.

He wants us to treat people with kindness.

So, as we continue God’s work, let’s demonstrate the golden rule. “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12, NIV).

Jean Dozier Davey