3.3.18 Prayer Prompt: Helping Others

PRAYER PROMPT ••• The “Keep North Carolina Clean and Green” campaign was heavily marketed when I was a kid and they should be proud of a job well-done. Litter is among my biggest pet peeves. But yesterday, we had crazy high winds. As I left for work, I picked up our recycle bin and the neighbor’s bins that had blown over. But not before I’d collected boxes and cans and other trash in our driveway. My husband spent half his day chasing trash that was blowing in our yard and the neighbors’ too. By the time I got home, litter was scattered in most every yard I passed. What really aggravated my husband and me is that the trash people wouldn’t stop to collect garbage from a can that had been blown over (I get time frames and routes, etc, but c’mon… an exception here… that’s another topic). Passing by overturned trash and recycle bins perpetuated the scattered debris. How often do we drive by those who are fallen over and simply need a little pickup? Whether it’s someone who is down and out, homeless, and hungry… Or the person who sits at the desk next to us who is struggling with marriage problems, or a sick child, or any number of overwhelming stresses… We all have litter in our lives. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Turning to God is always the best and first step we should take when trying to clean up the messes in our lives. But we also have an obligation to one another. Jesus said we are to love our neighbors (Mark 12:31). And by neighbors, He meant fellow-humans. We can and should help others. Pick them up when the winds of life knock them down. From cleaning up litter in the neighbor’s yard, buying a meal for someone who is hungry, to being willing to listen to someone who just needs to talk… We can all do our part to be kind to one another and help each other. Ronald Reagan once said, “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” What will you do today to help someone? Today, as you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to lift someone up today. To be an encouragement, offer a smile, or more. Ask Him to help you show the love of Christ wherever you go.