AT an early age, I began to spend Saturdays working as a janitor in my father's business. Once when I was about 12, my father and I left work late in the afternoon, tired and eager to go home. On our way to the car, we noticed an elderly man across the street slip on some ice and fall. Without hesitation, my father led me across the street, where we helped the man to his feet. He was conscious but bleeding from some scrapes and a cut on his nose. We helped him back to his small apartment and spent about an hour with him, cleaning his face and bandaging his nose. We listened as he spoke of the loneliness and despair in his life.
Now in my 50s, I often reflect on this occasion and how special it made me feel to comfort someone in pain.
God calls us to take advantage of opportunities to show love and compassion to those in need. Much of what I learned from my father centered on hard work and disciplined pursuit of our goals. But that day he taught me the importance of detouring from our plans and reaching out to a person in need.
Joe Green (Minnesota)
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