Some of the most sacred lessons in life are when God opens the door for us to help another soul in their time of need. If we are open to the Holy Spirit, we can be used to touch many lives along our path to Heaven. There are countless things we can do if we will simply open our eyes to those around us. 
Our life on earth is a school, designed to teach us and give us opportunities to respond to others in the same way our Savior responds to us. We complicate events with church politics instead of making our decisions based on the directions we receive from the Holy Spirit. We need to slow down, reassess our lives, and determine what things are most important. Finally, we need to include the Holy Spirit in all of our decisions. It is in the world-to-come that we will see the far-reaching effects of the acts of kindness that we have performed while on earth.
We must always be ready to help the poor, the fatherless, the widow, and those who cannot help themselves. “…the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who [are] within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.”1 These are the ones for whom we will stand before God without excuse. There will always be those who will try to take advantage of others, but let this not stop us from reaching out to look for those that sincerely need our help. Every case needs to be judged on its own merits through the help of the Holy Spirit. The family on the lake in Lawson and my family in Lawson did not have time for the church body to take a “sit back and watch” attitude while we were on the brink of disaster. When people need help, help them, then analyze it later. Ask the Spirit of the LORD for His guidance and peace in making decisions, and always address the situation with the intention to help. You can be certain that it would always be better to err by helping someone that God did not send your way than failing to help someone that God did send your way.
An incident that happened a few years ago was both amusing and informative. On the way to Florida I stopped at a service station for gas. I noticed a gentleman standing aimlessly beside his car on the other side of the pump. As I started filling my car, he apologized for the inconvenience and informed me how he had run out of gas and needed some money to make it home. I told him I would think about it and continued filling my car. When I finished, I asked him to remove his gas cap, and I would put some gas in his car. He responded and as I began filling his car, immediately the nozzle clicked indicating a full tank. I informed him that his tank was completely full. He again apologized and explained that his gauge must have been broken. I thanked the LORD for the wisdom to opt to fill his tank instead of just handing over some cash. Today, it is sad, there are many that attempt to scam their way through life, but all of these events teach lessons. However, we should never learn the lesson of bitterness and hardness but always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and measure each situation on its own merits.
Another beautiful example that I must share relates to an incident that occurred here on the coast a few years ago. One chilly morning, with temperatures dipping into the low 30’s, I was making a floral deliver at a funeral home. It was located about a mile from my business and across the street from the funeral home was a coffee house, so I thought to get me a good hot chocolate to take back to work. My daughter, Courtney, was working with me, so I thought to purchase one for her also. As I was walking into the coffeehouse I was speaking to the LORD. I was voicing a heart-felt question asking God, “What could I ever do to please you, I am so small on this earth and you are so awesome, what could I ever do to minister to you?”
After purchasing the hot chocolates, I decided to return to the office by way of Hwy 90, the beachfront highway. As I headed south I saw a homeless man walking up from the beach. It was early in the morning so I assumed that he had slept on the sea wall during the light freeze the night before. I pulled over and waited for him to arrive at my van. He was a small distance from the beach, and as he approached the car I rolled down my window, and asked him if he wanted a hot chocolate. He looked at me with suspect and asked, “Why do you have two?” I explained that one was for my daughter, but I thought he might like it instead. He quickly reached in to my outstretched hand and took the chocolate. I then offered him a twenty, which he was thankful to take. I blessed him and drove off. I had long forgotten about my little prayer to God about what was important to Him when the words echoed through my thoughts, “That’s what’s important to me.” I literally started weeping as I saw the love of our Father for all mankind through a simple act of kindness.
How can anyone see Christ if they don’t see Him through us? God embodies pure compassion and love. When we begin to be sensitive to the leading of His Holy Spirit, we will act toward others with the same compassion and love demonstrated by our Father. We are the epistles people read every day, we are the witnesses, and when we call ourselves a Christian, we expressly demonstrate the kind of God we claim to serve. If we shut our bowels of mercy to someone in need, how could we ever expect to convert such a person? It is not our words that speak, but our actions.
Several years ago an event happened that displayed the divine providence of God in a unique way. One particular morning I was up early praying and reading my Bible and felt an impression to fast that day. I started out okay, but around noon I became overwhelmingly hungry, and I knew the fast was over. I was so hungry, and upon noticing that one of the fast food outlets had a special where I could get two complete meals for the price of one, I opted for the special. After picking up the order at the drive through and pulling back out onto the street, I noticed a homeless woman with dirty braided hair and raggedy clothes walking down the street like a little lost child. Immediately I felt to offer her the second meal, and when I did, her eyes lit up with such gratitude that I knew I was where I was supposed to be, doing what I was supposed to be doing, helping someone in need. These moments are priceless!
During one cold Christmas season we felt a burden for a homeless man that always walked around the same area of our city. We knew that he would sometimes go into the local hamburger shop for a hot cup of coffee. The LORD moved on Janie to give the Manager of the hamburger shop some money on an account for him so that when he came in he could get some food. She also left him a gift of a new warm neck scarf and a small pocket Bible. These were small things to us, but probably meant a lot to this man. We need to be sensitive, because we may truly be able to save a life through unselfish helps. We need to look to see what we may do to help instead of looking the other way, pretending we do not recognize the need.