“May I buy you a cup of coffee?” he asked? The man at the counter looked up with a hopeless look in his eyes and said, “Yes, please.” He ordered two coffees and sat down next to the man. As he sat there he began to talk to him about nothing in particular. Eventually the man who had the hopeless look began to tell his story.

He had been a man of means at one time. To look at his unkempt hair and clothes you would never have known this. Everything was going well for him. He had a wife whom he adored, two healthy children and a job that gave him a comfortable style of living. And then it happened. His wife was taking the children to a movie and a drunk driver hit her head on. The car was mangled and warped and no one lived through the accident. Since that time he had been spiraling downward. He couldn’t sleep, he missed work and just this morning had been fired. As he told this tears welled up in his eyes and ran down his cheeks. He missed his family so much he was having a hard time functioning.

As the man sat and listened to the story his heart went out to him. And it brought back memories. You see, he also had lost his family and had gone through much the same as this man had. He, too, missed his family. But he had learned a great lesson: no matter how much you miss someone you must go forward. Yes, there is a time for grieving, but then we must go forward.

The above scenario has been played out before. Our world has people today who are hurting. They need someone to pay attention to them and reach out to them. They need understanding and help. The Bible teaches us as Christians to “...be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another...” Eph. 4:32. Paul stated we are to “...not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially those who are of the household of faith.” Gal. 6:9,10.

Is there someone you can help today? Make the effort.