School supplies

Yesterday we talked about school supplies and how wonderful it was to get something new, and how we should approach not only our faith and our lives as though we were opening a new box of crayons each day. Today I want to tell you a story that I heard many years ago, some years ago, a young woman, I will call her Jean, had taken her kids to do their school supply shopping. Her children were full joy, running up and down all the aisles looking for the items on their lists.
When they reached the aisle where the pencils and pens were, her kids busied themselves in looking for what they needed. As Jean came into the aisle she noticed another woman, I will call her Alice, and her child shopping also. Unlike her kids, Alice’s son was not happy or filled with joy, his mother looked haggard and tired. Just then a young girl came around the corner with a new trapper binder that she really wanted. Alice said that she could not have it as there was not enough money. The child’s heart was broken, and her mother’s eyes filled with tears.
It was then that the Jean, who had been watching this happen. Turned to the other Alice and asked her for the list she had. Alice was shocked at her request, but Jean assured her it would be ok. Jean called her kids back and gave each of them a list and asked them to take Alice’s kids through the aisles to pick up all the supplies that they needed, including the new trapper binder.
Alice was in tears, she could not believe the generosity Jean showed to her. She told Jean that things have been difficult for her as a single parent. Jean told Alice that she was happy that she could help her, and that maybe at some time Alice may be able to be the one to help someone else.
the question I would ask, would you be like Jean? Who showed compassion? Who was filled with the need to reach out and help. Or would you simply walk away and pay no attention to what was happing before your eyes?  Jesus tells us of a man who stopped to tend to a man who had been beaten and robbed, by a man who could be considered an enemy, however, he took pity on the man and helped him.
In our lives let us find the courage to be the Samaritan, give us the strength to listen to where God sends us, and to act as Jesus has shown us.
 
Pastor Lisa
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