changes

wanting to write this morning, but not quite sure what to write about. as i look out the window and see the leaves changing color, i realize that there are things in me that i want to change. and things outside of me that i want to change. or at least influence in the direction of change. bogged down sometimes by the distractions of life, i miss listening to the voices that are crying out around me. there are some serious needs in the world. and as i sit and write this from the comfort of my own home, i feel a great sense of frustration that others are without so much. food. clothing. homes. love. friends. family. opportunity.

i often think about the way in which our leaders argue back and forth – trying to figure out and present the best approaches for solving things such as poverty. discussions around welfare. around job opportunities. around education. and yes, all of these things may be important. but who's right? the ideas in themselves are all good. but the ways of realizing them are often flawed. i hear people making some pretty serious statements. pros and cons with each approach. and i don't think there is anything wrong with analyzing the best way to help the world with its struggles. the point is to help, right? not necessarily how we help, but to help. and maybe that is the problem. we are consumed by the method instead of the task.

and then i think of jesus and his response to others in need. it's interesting, because i never saw jesus asking others to fill out some kind of application. or offering them a job in exchange for something. he would encourage others and acknowledge their strengths and abilities, but never withhold. he was a giver. meeting needs. speaking of wonders. teaching about the best ways to live. jesus saw the needs around him. and then he did something about them. he met them. not in their entirety. but one need at a time. may i meet the needs of others. and may i let go of my disappointment in not being able to change the world and rather find contentment in my ability to change small things. meeting the needs of those in whom i encounter – one need at a time.