I don’t remember what made me check the front door the second time that night but I remember feeling a desperate need to make sure all was well for my children and myself. I remember the moon was exceptionally bright that night, giving me a clear view of my friend sleeping on the couch. Quietly, I walked to my front door but not before kicking something on the floor. I looked over to the couch and didn’t see any movement so I reached down to pick up what I thought would be one of my kid’s toys. Much to my surprise I found it to be an empty prescription bottle. The prescription I had picked up earlier that day for my friend.

I remember scrambling to the couch to wake her up but when her arm fell limp to her side; I knew I needed to call for help. What happened afterwards was a big blur but I remember the helicopter taking off from the field across the street and the panicked look on my neighbor’s faces when they looked at me. When I walked back into my apartment I could see the aftermath of the paramedics. It was in that moment I realized that the little things we do for each other does, in fact, make a huge difference in our world.

The hands of the paramedics, the knowledge of the doctors, and the timing of my call were all key to my friend’s survival. Evidentially she thought taking her own life was a long-term solution to a short-term problem. Her moment of desperation was embedded in a feeling of aloneness; a moment when she felt there was nothing to live for and had nothing to contribute to others.

I know now that my need to check the door that night had nothing to do with protecting my children. It had nothing to do with the conversation I had with my friend earlier that evening. I can’t even take credit for the part I played in the incident. At the time I didn’t understand the phenomenon but now that I have a personal relationship with Jesus, I know that every act of kindness carried out through me is a direct reflection of the Light that lives within.

My moment of panic was Jesus working through me to save my friend – His friend. So it is with thousands of other “coincidences” that have occurred in my life since. Isn’t it wonderful to recognize that Jesus knows whom to place in our lives to make a difference in our world? He knows what our needs are and uses our brothers and sisters in Christ accordingly. Our willingness or unwillingness to act is certainly our own choice but it makes me wonder how many miracles I’ve missed by ignoring His gentle nudges.

Written by Brenda Bates – May 2006

Prayer to the Father:
Heavenly Father, I praise You for this day.
I’m always amazed how all of our lives are linked to One.
When I look at the outcome of this event it’s so easy to find You in the midst of it all.
Abba, there are so many hurting people in this world.
It doesn’t take a scholar to see the pain on people’s faces when I walk down the street or sit in a restaurant.
People are angry and they want to lash out at others because of the pain they feel inside.
I can’t help but feel it’s because they don’t have You in their lives.
And Father, I have witnessed, with You, the pain of my friend.
Before I knew You, I felt the same way she did – alone. But You saved her and You saved me.
My life was filled with guilt and my wounds were so deep that I couldn’t find a reason to live, but You filled my life with a peace that cannot be described or surpassed.
You lifted me out of the pit and told me that You loved me in spite of my sinfulness. You filled my heart so full of Your presence that it overflows into others.
You repaired my soul so that I would become worthy of being called Your disciple. Thank You Father for Your incredible and never-ending love.
Thank You for loving me so much that You sent Jesus to be my Saviour and Friend.
It is in knowing Jesus that I serve You and recognize that I am never alone.
Father I pray that you place me where I’m needed to serve You best.
Protect me from the evil that surrounds me each day and provide the knowledge I need to witness to others in Your name.
So it is in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Scripture:
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
~1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10 ~

Personal thoughts:
When we listen to the news, heroes are mentioned each day. An act of kindness from a fellow human being in a desperate moment in our lives can mean “the world” to a person in need. The numerous stories of survival from the natural disasters that we hear about on the news have become an everyday event. But it isn’t until we see it through our own eyes that  it becomes a reality.

A smile can become a life changing experience to someone who is alone. Being kind to the person who serves your food in a restaurant can make all the difference in the world in the way he or she responds to your needs and will add a smile to their face for the next person they serve. Changing the world starts with one loving act of kindness at a time.