Will You Stop And Help?

This past summer, I became a grandmother for the first time. I was able to be in the room when my granddaughter was born. Out in the hall were about 20 friends and relatives, all awaiting little Abigail’s birth…all waiting to love her.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every baby born had so many people just waiting to love them? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if no child was ever hungry or homeless? If no child was ever neglected or abused?

Traditionally, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season in our country. We eat big meals, watch football on television, and hit the sales at the department stores in hopes of finding Christmas gift bargains. This season never fails to remind me of how very blessed I am, and this year will be even more special because of Abigail.

Even though I will count my blessings, like many Americans I can’t and won’t forget those who aren’t as fortunate. We are a country who cares enough to share, and even though it’s been a couple of months since Hurricane Katrina, there are thousands of families who still need our help.

Many of us are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible. A man was beaten, robbed, and left lying in a ditch beside the road. Two men, a priest and a Levite, passed by but decided not to help. Today we would say, “They chose not to get involved.”

Martin Luther King Jr. gave his opinion on the story by saying, “The first question that the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But…the Good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’ ”

Maybe we should ask ourselves this Thanksgiving, “What will happen to the less fortunate if I don’t take time to help them?” Don’t be like the priest and the Levite. Choose to get involved. Even if you have already donated, do it again. Make this holiday season a little brighter for those who need help the most. Do it for them and do it for their children. They’re counting on us.