Pass It On

By Susan Dollyhigh

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4(NIV)

With arms crossed and eyes narrowed, Judy* glared at me and demanded, “Why do you do this? Why do you come here?” Judy, who’d come to Bible study every week since she’d moved into the homeless shelter, never joined us at the kitchen table. Instead, she retreated to the safety of a corner in the kitchen. Judy’s body language shouted the distrust born out of her life circumstances. Having only visited the shelter for a few weeks and taken aback by Judy’s questions, I stumbled through an answer while trying to ease her fears.

Later, searching my heart for why I had felt led to teach a Bible study at the shelter, I remembered a day that I dropped off a clothing donation at the shelter. I recalled seeing the women and children who were living there and the pain reflected in their eyes – pain that I understood.

I then recalled a very long and painful season in my life when so many people, and one friend in particular, did so much to show their love and concern for me. After several months, I finally asked my friend how I could ever repay her kindness. She replied, “You’re not to repay me – you’re to pass it on.”

Suddenly realizing the answers to Judy’s questions, I wrote a letter and shared my story with her. “Although I’ve never been homeless, there are not a lot of life’s trials that haven’t touched my life in one way or another. Thankfully, God has always placed special people in my life who have shown Christ’s love to me and that has made all the difference. So, Judy, I do this, I come to the shelter because I’m passing it on.” The following week, Judy joined us at the kitchen table.

Are we able to encourage others who are walking through difficult days by sharing how God has been faithful to us? Do we take the time to share our hearts as we reach out to minister to others? Do we pass it on?
*name changed

Thought for the Day
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”  ~ Leo Buscaglia