The Spoken Word "Helping Those in
Need"
Given by Lloyd D. Newell
March 22, 1998
One of the
most difficult dilemmas of life can
occur when
we sense that a loved one or friend
needs help,
but we're not sure how to provide it.
Perhaps we
see a child crying. Something has
upset her,
but when we ask what's wrong, she
quickly replies,
"Nothing." Maybe a friend has
lost his
job, and we want to show our support
and sympathy.
But it is often difficult to find the
right words.
Perhaps a neighbor has suffered a
loss, and
we want to provide what comfort we
can. But
we are also reluctant to intrude
inappropriately.
It is easy
under such circumstances to feel
helpless
or inadequate, with little comfort to
offer and
little joy to share. It is important,
however,
that we not allow our feelings of
discomfort
to prevent us from offering what aid
we can. Almost
always, the help we offer will be
gratefully
received. Sometimes even a small
gesture that
says "I care" can be enough to
make a difference.
A businessman
sat in a busy airport and noticed
a young mother
struggling with a tired, crying
child. At
first he was reluctant to intrude. He
was, after
all, a stranger. Perhaps an offer to
help would
be resented, he thought. But seeing
an edge of
desperation on the young woman's
face persuaded
him to intervene. She responded
to his offered
help with a grateful thank you. He
held her
child while she filled a bottle and
watched her
bags as she changed the baby's
diaper. Although
his aid lasted only a few
minutes and
he never saw her again, he had the
satisfaction
of knowing that he had made a
difference
and had turned a difficult moment into
a manageable
one for someone who, however
briefly,
had needed him.
While we may
not always know exactly what to
do in times
of difficulty, we can almost always
help in a
small gesture of help, offered sincerely
to someone
genuinely in need, can literally
change a
life for the better.