Every minute, seven children are born in the U.S. and 250 worldwide. I’m starting to write and research at 7 a.m. and will be done in an hour. That means 420 and 15,000 children respectfully will be born during my time set aside to write. Not all births are successful, and not every child is wanted, but think about it – each child comes into a breathing space as if they are fighting a battle.
From that first breath until the last, life demands much from each of us.
We are always scrabbling, fighting, pushing, demanding, reacting, or looking for a place to call our own. Infancy requires a support system. Our elders require similar support. The years between the two are the ones who often pick up the responsibility to help and support those who need help the most.
That’s you. Me. Us. Them. We. All of us.
We are the force desperately needed by those in both spectrums. Add to this list all those living in between – sick, poor, incapable, incarcerated, hopeless, incapacitated. Want more? Isn’t this enough? We spend ourselves helping the most vulnerable with our time and ability. Some are called to help more, others have a ministry to aid, while many sit on the sidelines watching the crisis develop and giving nothing of themselves.
What’s The Problem
The real problem often comes from motivation or lack thereof. Until a crisis pushes us to the edge, we are willing to stand on the sidelines and observe. We’re in the nosebleed section, watching with theatre glasses. Daintily, we dab Vick’s Vapor Rub under our noses to avoid the stench. We wear masks and gloves for protection.
We often fear the problem because it might affect our lives if we get too close to it.
What if we challenged ourselves with action? Maybe we need a motto, slogan, or saying, and everyone claims it as theirs? Perhaps they would sound Something like this:
- Everyone helps one.
- Don’t do nothing. (double negative makes this a positive: Do Something!)
- Focus on your strengths, and you’ll help others.
- Weaknesses are Something we can overcome. How? By doing what we can with what we have where we are.
- Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
- Do Your Part, and the rest will fall into place.
- Do Your Part, no matter the task; simply plan on doing it well.
- Can’t Never Can, and Won’t Never Will, so be a Can-Do and a Will-Do type of person.
I’m not a creator of words like this, but I know how to take one, gussy it up, and use it as mine! Can’t never could do nothing!
We All Need To Pitch In
At the start of C-19, the phrases kept improving, but eventually, it said Something like this: “We’re in this together. We can do it!”
Was this the truth? In moments of fear, panic, doubt, and lack of data, we all struggled with getting through the pandemic. Who was affected the most when it came to health issues? We’ve named the elderly, immune compromised, thoracic issues, and the unlucky.
Driving home from Texas at the start of my bride’s retirement, we saw how states began to shut down as supply lines and fear intermingled with our lack of direction. Close the borders! Close the Stores! Close schools, work, hospitals, libraries, and churches, but let’s keep selling alcohol and drugs! Maintain your distance. Wear a mask. It helps. No, wait, masks are not needed. No, they are!
Store shelves were emptied of anything. Everything. We made our own hand sanitizers before the basic supplies were gone. A local distilling company was allowed to bottle alcohol and sell it to the public. I bought one for the memory and will probably never open it.
Did everyone pitch in? No. Some hid from life, withdrawing as a turtle does inside its shell. Others hid their heads in the sand as we like to think about ostriches. Many ignored the rules and made up their own to live by.
Did we do our best? No. All sides of the coin were lacking. Did we do anything? Yes. We’ll not know for a generation whether the force of a vaccine helped us or introduced us to a new way of looking at life as symptoms unveil themselves.
Here’s My Thought
We learned a lot of things we’ve always known. C-19 forced the learning curve tighter. But, for many, the issues are resolved by government and science – we are sheep who cannot think for ourselves, so they have to think for us. Washington State released the emergency power that allowed the governor to do whatever he thought necessary since February 2020. Nearly three years of control, and we still have the virus they said we would irradicate.
What’s missing? God.
We’ve left God out of the equation and made up rules for life from what we think is important. Holy law has been polluted with human reasoning. When we think from our frame of reference, we try to solve problems from our perspective.
What if we obeyed the scripture that says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness,” and that begins the solution to all life’s problems? (Matthew 6:33)
Jesus said we would always have the poor with us, but we will not always have him. (Matthew 26:11) Our focus seems to have become more directed to the needy and less to the Lord.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to do acts of kindness and healing (Matthew 2:10) even when we doubt. Jesus gave his disciples power.
And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him,
He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out,
and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
(Matthew 10:1 NKJV)
But when Peter and John were involved in the healing of the man at the gate called Beautiful, Peter asked of those judging the situation:
…”Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this?
Or why look so intently at us,
as though by our own power or godliness
we had made this man walk?
(Acts 3:12 NKJV)
Maybe this is how we need to change our perspective of the issues of life we are facing. It’s not about what I can do but that I am doing Something. Use your talent, increase your ability, and gain more talents. Can’t, never can. Won’t never will.
Paul? Talk to us.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:13 NKJV)