When you see a need today, fill it; rather than waiting for someone else to meet the need, just take the step yourself. When those around you see your good deeds, they will be pointed to the Lord.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, sharing hope in your hardship.
One of the most hope-filled people I know is my sister, Kathy Eareckson. Her husband died years ago, and she’s lived by herself all this time on the family farm in Maryland. Her house sits on a grassy knoll above River Road and backs up against the woods of the state park. It is a beautiful part of Maryland in which the farm road winds down past our barn and along the park and the Patapsco River. It’s about two miles to town, and because there aren’t a lot of cars on the road, it is the perfect path to walk. Kathy loves the way River Road meanders along the water on one side, with the woods on the other. There’s the chatter of birds and the rushing sounds of the river; all of it so enchanting. And virtually every day, whether in the spring, summer, fall, or winter, my sister laces up her walking shoes and walks to town and back – that’s about four miles.
And because River Road is such a lovely, peaceful drive to town, lots of weekenders have discovered it. They park their pickups by the river and – I don’t know – they do what weekenders always do: shoot the breeze, munch on fast food, drink beer, maybe a soda. Years ago, Kathy noticed that bottles and trash and bags were piling up along the road, lots of litter in the park, but when she called the rangers, they couldn’t promise much. They put up “No Loitering” signs and “No Dumping” signs, but that did not deter these weekenders. And so, my sister Kathy took matters into her own hands. Without complaining, she simply pulled on her gloves and carried a big garbage bag on all her walks down River Road. She picked up I don’t know how many bottles and cans and food wrappers, but Kathy made the best of it – she said it was good exercise bending and stretching. Now, at first, our neighbors, while driving to town, would wave good-naturedly at my sister. And when a few of them realized how she was on a personal quest to keep their River Road beautiful, they’d honk their horns, they’d give her a thumbs up. And a few of them even started doing the same thing: stopping to clean up trash when they saw it.
Now, I say all this because of this wonderful biblical principle: when you see a need, fill it. Rather than spend your energies waiting for someone else to meet the need, someone who is more adept or who has more time and inclination, take the step yourself. It’s what Kathy did. When she saw that nobody else was going to clean up our country road, not even the state park rangers, she decided to, at least, make a dent and help out as best she could. And don’t think others haven’t noticed! Just as our neighbors who live near the farm stop to commend Kathy, Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” So whether it’s mowing lawns, picking up trash, helping an elderly neighbor, running errands for someone with a disability, joining your Neighborhood Watch, or baking cookies for a new neighbor, doing Meals on Wheels, these things don’t have to have a spiritual emphasis. The point is, you are serving spiritually because you’re doing a good deed, and like Kathy, you are connecting observers to the Lord (who watches you) and are inspired by you.
Hey, I’ve posted a fun photo of my sister Kathy and me at joniradio.org today. And go on my Facebook page and give a shout-out to someone you know whose good deeds shine like my sister’s. Again, that’s joniradio.org. God bless you today, and thanks for listening.
© Joni and Friends