One day a woman was standing on a curb, waiting for the light to change. On the opposite curb was a teenage girl. The woman noticed that the girl was crying. When the light changed, each started across the street. Just as they were about to meet, the woman’s motherly instincts came rushing to the surface. Every part of her wanted to comfort that girl. But the woman passed her by. She didn’t even greet her. Hours later, the image of the crying girl still haunted the woman. Over and over she said to herself, “Why didn’t I say to her, ‘Honey, can I help?’ Sure, she might have rejected me. But so what! Only a minute would have been lost, but that minute would have let her know that someone cared. Instead, I passed her by. I pretended she didn’t exist”. This woman was probably being too hard on herself. But this incident does serve to remind us that each of us has, every day, numerous opportunities to reach out in love to others. Sometimes it might be a complete stranger, but usually it is someone in our own family, or at work, or at school. Those opportunities are given to us by God so that, through us, He can build up His kingdom in this world. His mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love are meant to spread through us who are His disciples. If we miss those opportunities then His kingdom is diminished. When we do miss them, it is usually
simply because we are not alert to them. Perhaps we do not stop at the beginning of each day to remember that God intends to use us that day for His purposes and that we need to be ready and watchful.
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