In a prior devotional, I mentioned the need to examine the woman in the mirror. This week’s devotional isn’t a call for a critical examination of others (as if we need a call for THAT) but an invitation to see the plight of others with concerned eyes. If you’re like me, this week’s images from Hurricane Harvey left you attempting to manage several emotions at the same time, some of them being: sadness, anger, empathy and hope. Obviously, I can’t speak to whether the image that touched your heart the most was that of the: seniors at a nursing home in waist deep water, children sleeping on a kitchen counter due to the high levels of water in their home; a dog walking down a street with a bag of food in his/her mouth or of people driving down the highways towing boats so they could join the efforts to rescue others. Although I can’t speak to which specific scene resonated the most with you, I believe we are all charged to be sensitive to the needs of others (Deuteronomy 15:11; John 5:12; Hebrews 13:16). I can almost hear the objections: I’m only 1 person what can I do? My response is set aside and donate to a trusted organization: 1 thing from your canned goods, 1 thing from your closet; 1 bottle of body wash and 1 roll of unwrapped toilet paper (you just quieted a growling stomach; clothed a part of a naked body; helped someone be refreshed and allowed someone to walk and sit with dignity). But how do I know the right people will get it? My responses: how do you know they won’t and are you willing to deny someone a bowl of cereal because you need to check to see who else may eat? Looking outwardly doesn’t require a bank account with millions in it; it only requires seeing someone else as having value and acting to ensure they know they do. Blessings, Rev. Antoinette
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AuthorRev. Antoinette Gatewood-Sykes, Inspirational Speaker Archives
May 2019
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