Thursday, April 24, 2008

Lending a Hand



Lending a Hand, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.
I took this picture earlier this Spring when my dad and I went down to our cabin for a little fishing, rest, and relaxation. The photo has little to do with this blog entry, I guess, but it does make one reflect a bit on the beauty of creation and how everything seems to work together for the good of the whole ecosystem . . .

Anyway, my buddy Matt and I were talking on our way to the zoo on Tuesday. He's got a great friend and rugby buddy who is in the military and is about to be deployed to Iraq with a group of soldiers who have the responsibility of working in a prison where military prisoners are detained. I don't imagine that it's a fun job, and these men are traveling far from home for several months to serve.

Matt thought it would be cool to send a care package. He asked me if I would be willing to help. Matt has been a great friend for many years. In fact, he and I (along with a handful of others) started the American Indian student group (ONAI) on the campus of WVU. He's a Cherokee.

Of course I wanted to help. I asked him what I could do. He said that he would like to send food, books, magazines, Bibles, and things like that for the soldiers. He would also like to send toys, shoes, and clothing for the Iraqi people that are living in extreme poverty.

Right away, I started putting together a package. Yesterday, I gave Matt some mini-footballs, a bag of shoes and clothing, a handful of Bibles, and sundry other books, and 96 copies of "more than a carpenter." (I found these while cleaning the garage the other day; I have no idea where they came from or how long they were in the garage, but I was grateful to find them a good home).

I thought it was really cool that Matt was going to these lengths for his friend to serve his fellow soldiers. I also thought it was cool that these soldiers were contemplating ways they might be able to make life a little brighter for some of the iraqi citizens.

Who knows what good may come from those books, Bibles, and more that were able to be sent? It's nice to think that these small gifts might make many lives brighter.

You know, we have little opportunities like this that present themselves every day. Little opportunities to serve others and bless others. Little opportunities to ask for help instead of trying to do it all by ourself. Little opportunities to make life brighter.

As you walk through your day, take a moment and ask yourself--where can I bless others in my actions and attitudes today? Where can I help others be a blessing?

May we never tire of doing good, that Jesus Christ may be glorified all the more in our lives.

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