By Kristen Flory

The Lord has really been challenging me to serve and reach out to the people I come in contact with whether on a daily, weekly or one time basis. I have realized that everyone in this world is struggling with one thing or another. It could be as small as a bad day at work, a fading marriage, or a lost love one. They are hurting, overwhelmed and most do not have or know Jesus. They don’t know the peace He can bring. Or even if they do, the overwhelming pull of their list of things to do is crushing them.

Think about it… the guy who is honking his horn at everyone on your drive home from work may have just gotten fired from his job. Or the woman who is standing in line at the grocery store who decides to go off on the cashier for taking so long with the costumer in front of her may have a mother in the hospital dying and she cannot do anything about it. I, more often than not, find myself irritated with the lady because it was not the cashiers fault, or annoyed with the guy who just needs to slow down because he will get home soon enough, but God has been convicting me that I really don’t know why they were lashing out with that emotion or action. He has also been challenging me to just LOVE THEM, to be a smiling face even if they don’t appreciate it at the time, or to let the guy in, so he can get around you. I know that I would want someone to understand me, so why would I not do the same to them?

With that, God has been leading me to put into action how to love those people and I have found that serving does not always have to be done in the church or through a church outreach event. Getting into the community and loving people where they are is opening my eyes, and Lord willing it will open doors to share my faith and who God is to me. I started volunteering at a local hospital once a week in the Progressive Care Unit, where I interact with the patients, the nurses, staff and doctors on duty. I am in their “zone,” helping them and reaching out to them, so maybe they will allow me to minister not just to their physical needs, but to their spiritual needs as well.