It takes a special kind of person who is willing to step into shoes such as this. You see them volunteering in hospitals or homeless shelters, helping feed the hungry, mentoring our youth, or just reaching out and doing whatever they can to help those who are less fortunate, or in dire straits.
Until you get into the trenches you really don’t know the reality of what’s down there. Most of us refuse to consider getting involved out of fear of how tough the task may be. Fear is the operative word here. We are afraid of the unknown so we refuse to start, mainly because of our fears.
It’s easy to drive by a homeless person and hand them some change or a few dollars, but much tougher to speak with that person and hear their story. First of all most of us would not be caught in close company with such a person because we don’t know what sort of problem they may have. Many fall into this predicament because of mental illness or addiction to some sort of substance. Not knowing what to expect we normally keep space between them and us.
At the senior centers there are many lonely seniors, many of whom seem to be sitting there waiting on the final bell to toll. In many cases they have few or no visitors. Some have lost hope and given up on life.
Some of the workers at senior facilities are very caring and compassionate while there are others that merely work the job with little sensitivity to the troubles of the people they serve. If you don’t have the right sort of attitude for working in such a place you probably do more harm than good to the residents. Again, not everyone has the right heart for the tough tasks.
Take many of our public servants such as law enforcement or government employees. If they don’t have the right attitudes they easily abuse the people they were hired to serve.
Post Office workers, DMV clerks, Unemployment Office workers, Social Security employees, IRS workers, all should serve the public, but have you noticed the attitudes of a number of them? Once in a while you will find one that is pleasant, but that seems to be rare. If you don’t have the right attitude for certain jobs you do a disservice to that profession.
Like many I concentrated so much on getting ahead in life and achieving my personal goals. I knew there were people in all walks of life that were suffering greatly but personally I did not allow their suffering to enter into my "caring space." My interest was on my own gain. I made no room in my heart to care about people I didn’t even know.
There are people that make helping others a lifestyle. Missionary workers, healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, dentist, childcare givers, senior helpers, adoption agencies, child-protection agencies and the like, they take on the tough tasks as their job. Although not all of them have the kind of compassionate heart to be well respected in their chosen profession, most of them know walking in the door that the task ahead of them will be tough. Thank God for people such as these that are willing to do the tough tasks that most people would rather avoid.
Perhaps as you get older you realize that life is not all about your personal gain, but more about how you may assist humanity in overcoming at least some of their suffering. In our own small ways we need to learn how to care more for others and do more things that help our fellow man.
Although it is frightening thinking about how tough it may be down in the trenches, once you get down there and see the gratitude in the eyes of the people that you help when they are helpless, you suddenly realize that there is so much more to life than just striving to reach your own selfish goals.
You learn that doing unto others as you hope they would do unto you in a similar circumstance is priceless. You learn why it is better to give than to receive. You feel the essence of most of the scriptures written in our Holy Books. At that point you will actually get pleasure out of taking on the tough tasks that others shy away from.
If it be within your heart, even if only occasionally, and if you really can endure the tough task, reach out and do something really tough knowing that the recipient on the other end of your offering would benefit more than gratitude could even express. If you ever decide to do such a thing then you would know the heart of Christ, of Buddha, of Krishna, and of all the Saints that ever walked the earth.
Taking on the tough tasks is usually reserved to those who are the saints amongst us. God made them and sprinkled them on the earth in such small numbers. If this message inspired you, go out and help someone whom you see is in need today. May God richly bless you!
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