Fifty-seven days…

On Wednesday evening as I was in the middle of running around my kitchen like a crazy woman, my doorbell rang.  It didn’t just ring once; it rang over and over again in quick succession.  Someone was really trying hard to gain our attention.  My husband, being the wonderful helpmate he is, was washing some pots and pans in the sink.  I looked at him puzzled and said, “I’ll get it.”

When I arrived in the foyer, I could see through the glass pane window next to my door an elderly man who was very confused and yelling with fear that he was lost.  I immediately called for my husband who came running, opened the door, and stepped outside with the older gentleman.  He was shouting his address over and over again while asking if he could please have a ride home.  My husband happily drove him to his house and accompanied the man inside.  The man lives in a group home not far away from us.  He is mentally challenged.

One minute you’re in your warm cozy kitchen, preparing special dishes to celebrate Thanksgiving, and the next thing you know the cold, hard, realities of life find you.  There are so many people in need; so many men, women, and children who need physical and mental healing.  There are so many who are unable to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas the same way many of us do.  Once again my eyes have been opened to the sadness in the world.  I’ve spoken a lot about prayer in my blog thus far.  I’m going to reiterate a statement I’ve made before.  We might not be called to travel across the world like missionaries, but we can still make a difference.  We can pray.

I’m putting this man on my prayer list.  I’m going to make an effort to pray for him daily.  Who knows?  Maybe no one else in the whole wide world is praying for him.  I would like to put forth a plea to anyone who reads this today, to please pray for someone in need, someone for whom you wouldn’t normally pray.  Maybe it will be someone you see in the grocery store, or at church, school, or work.  Maybe you could pray for the man of whom I’ve been speaking.  Prayer is such a beautiful thing.  It is a privilege to be able to go to the Father on another’s behalf.  Let us pray…