Reaching Out

Most of us live in a very hectic world. We have kids to take to school and help with homework, households to maintain, meals to make, and family relationships to invest in. It’s easy to let our lifestyles dictate how we interact with others. We keep our world so small and focused we aren’t reaching out to friends, neighbors, and distant relatives. But are we supposed to live such isolated lives?

We do have to be responsible for our households, but God put us on this world to share His love with others as well as our immediate family. We are to bring light and hope to a darkened world by sharing the love of Christ in both word and deed. We can’t do that if we never step beyond our small circle of intimate family and friends.

So how do we reach out, especially with our time restraints? First of all, we start small. Pick up a few “Thinking of You” cards on your next shopping trip. It takes a few minutes to write them up and send them to people you haven’t spoken to in awhile. You can leave a message on a friend’s voicemail telling her you are praying for her week. Send over an extra batch of cookies to your neighbor since you were making some with the kids anyway. Have the kids draw some pictures for Grandma who lives far away and send them via e-mail.

Once you get into the habit of taking a few minutes to interact with others, you will learn to be more resourceful and creative with your time. Keep yourself open to opportunities God presents to you. You were created to glorify God and share His love, but you can’t do so if you don’t make yourself available to reach out.