Response

Response

Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

NOT LONG AGO as I scrolled the internet, I came across a newspaper article about a house fire in a neighboring community where five of the seven children in the fire died. Their dad had tried to save all of them but was only successful at getting two out. As I read the details, I gasped, unaware that my young daughter had just come in the room.

Snuggling up next to me, she peered over my arm at my iPad. “Whatcha reading, Mom?”

Sighing, I looked at her, deciding whether or not to tell her. What can you say? Not wanting to scare her but wanting to be honest about the realities of this world, I tried to explain. “Sweetie, there was a fire the other night and some children died. Their dad tried to save them, but he couldn’t get to all of them.”

And all she could say was, “Oh.”

“What do you think we should do?” I said, pulling her close. We talked about how we could send cards, get them things they might need. “But honey, what’s the first thing we can always do to respond right now?”

And as we discussed how we can always start by praying, Jasmine and I clasped hands, bowed our heads, and prayed. Jasmine then offered to make a card for a dad whose heart was breaking. Her way of being the hands of Jesus. And later that morning I found out how to send it and some other practical things needed. My way of being the feet of Jesus.

Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by everything we read, all that we see. If we’re not careful to filter the information constantly streamed our way, we can take in more than we can bear, more than we need to know. But even so, as Christians, we know that we need to stop, notice, and respond. To not always keep scrolling, but to pay attention to needs. To pray. And then to be proactive to do something in response to the needs around us.

Lord, help us to see the needs around us. To pray and then be willing to respond. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: What or who is God asking you to pray for today? What is a practical action step you can take today in response to their needs?