Help One

Do you feel like you can’t do much to help others? Do you look at the world around you and feel helpless to cause change? The truth is we are never helpless unless we convince ourselves we are.

A few weeks ago, the four of us saw the movie, Zootopia. The bunny in it is constantly told that she will never be a police officer, because there are no bunny police officers. Of course, that makes her try even harder. As the movie ended, my 10-year-old said movies like this make her want to go out and do something, something big. But she gets frustrated because she is only a kid.

I understand that feeling, as I still have it as an adult. There is so much good to be done, but one person can only do so much, right? Wrong.  All the little things add up to enough.

Me + Jesus =  what the world needs.

Take money, for example. So many people live on less than $2 per day, which is hard for someone in the US to fathom as our average is $140 per day. We can make a difference for one person or family with a small amount. We can give hope to someone local who is without a home. We can provide a meal for someone on the other side of the world. All it requires is a small amount of spare cash and our willingness.

If we want to help with our time, it doesn’t take much. Sure, a day spent building or painting a house with Habitat for Humanity is wonderful as is a week-long mission trip. But there are so many other needs to help with. Helping an elderly neighbor unload groceries? Writing a note of thanks to a soldier who is away from their family? Calling up a friend who is lonely or going through a hard time? These can be done quickly and they remind the person that they are seen and cared for.

If we have a couple of hours, lots of organizations can use help. Try food pantries and homeless shelters, animal shelters, hospitals and nursing homes. There is a place for everyone, one where they fit in and have the right abilities.

When we aren’t going forward, we are going backward. Don’t lose momentum by standing still. Keep pushing forward. The next time you feel paralyzed by all there is to be done, just do something. Big or small, it will make a difference. Don’t let the world tell you that you are too young, too poor, or too busy. Just help one person and go from there.

Linking with Holley Gerth