country, or a short shopping trip? There are needs everywhere. The next time you feel constrained to condemn the prostitute, the alco holic, the unfit mother, the gossip, the drug addict, the neurotic, the compulsive eater, and to jot them down in your little notebook as "wrong," stop and think of the reason for such behavior, then try to be a real friend to this one, trusting Christ to work through you and to love through you. Show him that someone in this miserable world really cares what happens to him and understands a little of his personal misery. Then you may have the joy — and very likely will — of leading him to a knowledge of the One he sees in you. "Do you go to church anywhere?" is indeed a poor substitute for "Let's have a cup of coffee together and get to know one another." So often we feel satisfied that we have done our duty by inquiring as to his church affiliation! There is a song which says "It matters to Him about you"—does it matter to you about them?
familiar "Don't call me, I'll call you"? Do we care enough to make a visit to a home, to invite someone for a cup of coffee just to talk to, to listen most of all to provide the greatest of therapy — just to be able to talk to someone? How much easier it is just to call on the friendly, outgoing person, or to visit those who are cheerful, or who are interested in us, who are of "like mind" religiously or socially! How different— but how rewarding—to spend time with the invalid, the lonely, the depressed, the neurotic, the one whose con versation may not be "stimulating" or "interesting." The Lord said, when you prepare a banquet, invite those who are not able to invite you back; in that way, we are ministering, not recip rocating. May I challenge you, Mr. and Mrs. Christian, to become " in volved" this year, with at least one individual, to put yourself in his place, to really care about his needs and problems; in other words, to do as Jesus said and "Bear ye one another's burdens." There are many ways of doing this, but as to a practical sugges tion — would you give thirty min utes (or even less) a day, to call someone on the phone whom you know to be lonely or ill, and just visit with them — or better yet, to listen to them? It may seem awk ward at first but as God leads you in your choices and also in your conversation, you will be thrilled by the freedom you will acquire. Look around you — the one you see everyday, perhaps has a spe cial need. How about the individ ual without a vehicle that would so much appreciate a ride in the
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