What really matters?
Sometimes we miss the most important things.
Back yard birds
Nature has a way of magnificently reflecting its creator, and I like to spend all the time I can enjoying its beauty. I feel so much closer and more connected to God alone in the outdoors than I do any other place (Be Still!), so I do everything I can to get outside on a regular basis. Through the years, I have observed many animals and birds somewhat closely. It’s amazing how, at times, they will reach out for help however they can get it.
One year, the birds at one of my back yard bird feeders were making all kinds of noise. It was very clear that they were upset about something. When I walked out on my deck, I saw a snake about to attack one of their nests. Of course, I took care of that problem for them. Lol!
On another day, I was walking across the spillway of our lake, and saw a momma duck squawking and carrying on like crazy. I immediately knew something was wrong. She was staying right at the edge of the water above the spillway and looking down into the area below. The spillway has a concrete wall that is about 8 feet straight down, but she could easily have flown over it.
Momma Duck
Upon seeing her so obviously upset, I paused and looked down into the bottom of the spillway. There below were two baby ducks. As I watched them, I could clearly see that one of them was struggling to walk – the water at the bottom is not deep enough to swim in. The baby duck needed to be rescued and put back into the lake with its mother. She didn’t go down to them because the knew she could not bring them back up with her. They must have been washed over by the current.
As I had just begun my walk for the day, I began to think of all the reasons I should just ignore that duck. And anyway, it would be very difficult and somewhat treacherous for me to try to make my way to the bottom of the spillway. I knew there was someone who lived about a half mile away who would be glad to help the duck, but I didn’t want to take the time to pursue getting them. After all, I – like most of you – have a very busy life. My to-do list is always longer than I can ever achieve. My mind is filled with all the pressing things that need to be accomplished before day’s end. I seem to always be in a hurry, no matter where I am going, because there is something else waiting to be addressed as soon as my current activity is finished.
Those who cannot help themselves
As I walked on past the ducks in need, it was as if God said to me, “Is that the way you treat people in need, too?” Ouch!!!! I readily admit that I am not a people person. I’m not one who goes around just looking for opportunities to help someone. And if I’m totally honest, I probably have avoided doing things that the Holy Spirit was quietly prompting me to do just because I thought I did not have time. (How utterly foolish of me to think that I know more about how my time should be spent than the God who is familiar with every minute that I will have in this life!!)
Of course I’m happy to help anyone who asks me for help. But what about those who cannot ask? Or do not know how to ask? Or do not know who to ask? Maybe God expects us to meet the needs of those around us, whether they ask for help or not? Maybe He expects us to seek out those in need and minister to them? Or maybe He expects us to just be aware of those around us who cannot help themselves?
Jesus made it very clear that helping people, without regard to our relationship with them, should be a priority. We see this account recorded in the book of Luke:
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Traveling down the road
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” Luke 10:30-37 (NLT)
It is worth noting that the two men in this story were enemies. Their cultures hated each other. It would have been unheard of in that day for a Samaritan to help a Jew – yet here he was, taking time out of his busy day to do just that.
Hurried on our way
We can safely assume that this Samaritan was a busy man. He must have had compelling business that had him traveling on the road to begin with. He had silver coins to pay the innkeeper, so he likely was a man of means. And he most likely did not start his day by adding, “rescue the man on the side of the road who was beaten by robbers,” to his to-do list. Yet, we see him stopping and showing Godly compassion to this stranger that he meets.
I think we each need to look at this story and figure out which one we would have been – the one who passed by on the other side of the road, or the one who showed compassion and helped. Would we have stuck to our schedule and hurried on our way? Or would we have stopped and allowed compassion for the one in need to disrupt our life and dominate our schedule? Then again, maybe we would have rationalized not stopping because we were not trained to handle a medical emergency. Or because we didn’t know the man – after all, he may have just gotten what he deserved. Maybe he was one of the robbers. Plus he was from the wrong side of the tracks. No decent person would help someone from there, would they?
It’s interesting how many excuses we can come up with not to have our busy lives interrupted – not to do the things that truly matter to God.
What really matters is God’s kingdom – PEOPLE
Needless to say, I went to get help for the duck. Then I went back to the spillway to keep an eye on the ducks while I was waiting for help to arrive. The lady who came is a nurse practitioner, as well as a chicken owner, so she was very capable of checking out the duck’s leg. Her son easily made it to the bottom of the spillway to retrieve the little duck. It turned out that nothing was broken. Apparently, its leg was sprained somehow. (Maybe when it went over the spillway?) At any rate, the ducks were reunited, Momma duck was happy, and they all swam off in the water together.
I had learned a good lesson that day about what is really important. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how important my to-do list is! The only thing that really matters is God’s kingdom – people! It is our responsibility to be the eyes and hands and feet of Jesus. This is still a journey for me – as is everything in this life. 😀 But with God’s help, I will be much more aware of the needs of those around me. And much more willing to take time out of my busy day to do what is necessary. After all, that is what Jesus would do. And it is what He wants us to do.
Obedience keeps us on The Blessing Road. And I know that is where I want to stay!
See you out there! 🙂
GUARD RAIL: Take time to meet the needs of those around you.
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” – Jesus
Matthew 7:12 (NLT)