September 23-24 -

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” - Hebrews 13:2 KJV

Get two or three women together over a cuppa, and you can rely on the world, and it's residents, sooner or later, being discussed and put to rights. This week was no exception. Each person in the group commented on how much the environment of their local community has changed over the past ten years. It transpired that it's not the built environment that causes the most concern, but how much the people they come into contact with on an average day are now so different. Gone are the eye contact, warm smiles, cheerful “good-mornings!”, and time to stop a while and chat with a passing elderly, or disabled person – help offered by reading labels and reaching shopping from shelves beyond reach, and through the checkout at a supermarket.

The group agreed that the seat of the problem today stems, not only from an inward looking mentality of society at large – a society that demands not only fast food, but fast everything, and they want it NOW!. A self-sufficient attitude that has forgotten it's Christian roots. Instead, it's head and eyes down, iPhone in hand and glued to one ear, cutting them off from all verbal communication. Hurrying, scurrying, frantic to fit everything into a day's crammed schedule. No time for others.... no time for God.

In stark contrast there are many good, caring people who walk the walk, putting their faith into action, knowing that but for the grace of God it could be any one of us standing in need of love and a helping hand. For many elderly or disabled people, that trip to the supermarket could well be the only opportunity they have have had that week, to speak with another human being.

There's a story of an old man who carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went. If he came across a door that squeaked as he opened it, he would pour a little oil on it's hingers. If a gate was hard to open, he oiled the latch. As he passed through day to day, he lubricated the hard places and made it easier for those he met on his way, or came after him.

He knew people thought he was eccentric, queer and cranky, but the old man went steadily on, refilling his oil can before it became empty, and continued oiling the hard places as he came across them.

Today, there are so many lives that creak and grate. Nothing goes right for them. They are in need of a good splash of lubrication – gladness, gentleness, and thoughtfulness – a life-line to the lonely and down-hearted. It's good to remember that each of us who are blessed to have a home, comfort, warmth, food, and a loving family, could lose all of those things instantly, either through disaster, or loss of that weekly/monthly paycheck.

Say we start off the day at home with our loved ones - it could make all the difference to your other half, and the children. Just a little of our TIME. To look up and make eye contact. SMILE. Take the phone out of our ears and LISTEN.

Lets get together and oil our squeaking hinges and latches that discourage the world to enter, and show our communities how it's done. Go on, make someone's day!!

Music for today's blog is “If I Can Help Somebody” (LIVE) sung by Lynda Randall. Click on the picture to listen.