I would say about 3 quarters of the way through the book, I find myself working away at my dayjob. My chosen profession involves social work, assisting families and occasionally covering walk-ins at a regional office. So, as I'm perched at the desk waiting for our next client to come in. I see a woman approach and speak with my co-worker in our other office. A few seconds later I can hear this woman is sobbing. Sobbing! :( Our office has this lovely Instant Messaging system so I checked on my co-worker to see if there was anything I could do to help. This is step #1 in making a difference: ASK. How often do we let things and situations go by and we are afraid to interject. We don't want to offend. We don't want to intrude. We just might be missing our own blessings by not asking how we might help.
The Instant Message came back that this woman was a long-time client of our program. Turns out she just had her third surgery and had both her breasts removed. She was devastated and struggling to cope. She is a single mom of 3 young children and is heartbroken at this moment in her life. Instantly my eyes fell to the book on my desk. Instantly God prompted me to give her my book. It's just a book, I rationalized to myself. Exactly, God confirmed. It's just a book. Pass it on. Step #2 in making a difference: DECIDE. I made a decision that I would see how I could appropriately offer this book to this woman in the hopes that it would encourage and bless her in her struggle. I didn't want to offend her and there were all sorts of inhibitions keeping me from leaping from my seat. But, I felt that God wanted me to give her this book. Just a small little ray of sunshine in what feels like a dark time.
I send another Instant Message and told my co-worker I had an idea. Could I please offer this book that I am reading to her? Did my co-worker think that would be okay? Perhaps it would have been a easier if the client had been meeting with me personally. I would have gracefully handed her the book. But now, I'm on the outside, and I don't want to be intrusive or make assumptions about this lady's problems. I said all that in my short little IM to my co-worker. A few minutes later she came in and I told her I wanted to give my book to this client. Still a little apprehensive, I explained myself again. "I think this will bless her. She needs some encouragement," I explained. Incredulously, she mused, "you want to actually GIVE it to her? Like to keep?" Yes. To keep.
So she took the book into the room and explained to the client that I wanted to give her this; that I overheard her situation and I thought this might help her a little. When they were finished the client came in and thanked me for the book. She looked wiped out and sad. With tears in her eyes, she thanked me and told me she would return it. "No," I said. "Read it and then keep it or pass it on to someone else who might need some encouragement too." She was surprised that I was giving her this completely. Step #3 in making a difference: DO IT. Once you ASK how you can help and DECIDE what you will do, then friends...DO IT. Making a difference in someone's life is that little small thing that you can easily talk yourself out of. Those things matter. If I gave that woman a reason to smile, if she walked away thinking that was a nice gesture, if it encouraged her knowing a complete stranger wanted her to feel better, then I have passed it on.
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