...i'm sorry, i'm just too busy...

"Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man." - Luke 10 (the Message Bible)

this story that Jesus told was stirred in my heart this morning. it's about a man who has been hurt, beaten, robbed and desperately in need of help. the first person to pass him by is a priest - a spiritual leader. we don't know why, but for whatever reason, this "Christian" crosses over to the other side. the second man to pass the beaten man is a "Levite religious man".... but Scripture says he "avoided the injured man."

sadly, and shamefully, this is often so true of my life
and the lives of so many believers.
we are too busy.
we are on our way to somewhere really important.
we have responsibilities.
we have an agenda.
we have our program.

how often do we, the Church, walk right past those who are hurt, beaten, robbed and desperately in need of help... so often, we don't even have the eyes to see them. if we DO see them, then we don't have the "time" to meet the need...we're too busy....
how often do we "avoid the injured" and find it easier to look for those who won't cost us too much time, finances or personal sacrifice/involvement.
by our actions, we can so easily send this message:
"i know i have the power to put a smile on your face.
i know i am capable of meeting your need.
i know that if i just took a few minutes out of my day,
i could make your day so much better,
i could encourage you and strengthen you.
i know you've probably been ignored, looked down on,
rejected, pushed aside and you're questioning if anyone sees you.
i know i could make a difference...
...i'm sorry...i'm just too busy."

while i may not have the resources at my disposal to radically invest in turning someone's life totally around, i can do SOMETHING - i can buy one extra loaf of bread at the store and give it out to someone in need, or take a few flowers home to my mama, or smile at the kid who's begging at my window and find out his name...i can speak life. i can remind someone that they are VALUABLE, that they matter... i can do something.

there was once a man who was so distraught at seeing the blind, the beggars, the crippled and the orphaned in the streets that he cried out, "oh Great God! how can Thou,
being a Good Creator, do nothing about this horrible suffering?"
and God's answer?
"I did do something. I made you."

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing
because he could only do a little." ~Edmund Burke

you can do something.
you can make someone's world a better place TODAY!
you can SHOW the love of Jesus TODAY!
you can warm someone's heart TODAY!
you can be the answer to someone's prayer...

if you see the need, then most likely, you're the one God put there to meet it.
don't pass by... don't look the other way...

"Act as if what you do makes a difference.
It does."
~William James