True friend

Last week I came down with the flu.  For more than three days, I was in bed with a fever, aches, chills and cold symptoms.  I barely ate.  I mostly slept.  Thankfully I have older children at home who can help take care of the younger ones because if I didn’t, they would have been fending for themselves for a few days.  Aside from asking my family for help, I am not one to usually call someone and ask for help.  I am good at getting people involved to help other individuals out…but not myself. I just can’t do it.  So even though I was sick in bed, the only people I was asking to do anything were my own kids. I knew that the normal things that I do might not get done, but I was ok with that.  At least the younger ones would be fed and supervised so that I could sleep.

In the middle of the week, my friend Su Hui, who lives upstairs called down to see if I could help her with a project on the computer.  My oldest answered the call and told my friend that I was sick but that she could help her, so Su Hui came down.  After she and Marissa finished up, she popped her head into my room to tell me that she would be back with some orange tea.

Not long after she returned with the orange tea.  She also proceeded to pick up the Kleenex from the floor of my room and noticed that I did not have time to fold laundry, which was piled on the sofa at the end of my bed.  She carried the baskets of laundry into the family room and encouraged my girls to help her to fold the laundry for mommy.  With the laundry folded and tea served, Su Hui left me to rest for the day only to return the next afternoon with a meal for dinner.

I wanted to share this story because of how much it touched me.  Su Hui is a true friend.  She saw a need and came to meet the need.  The scriptures encourage us in the gospel of Matthew.

…..Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’    Matthew 25:34-40

I want to challenge you.  Take a look around you.  Is there someone in need? Could your neighbor use a helping hand?  Is there some in your circle of influence who could use a friend today?  You may feel that you don’t have anything to offer, but let me encourage you that you have something to give.  Maybe you can send them a song to lift their spirits, a meal to feed their bodies or a scripture to encourage their soul.

Step out and meet the need of someone who is struggling or hurting today.  You will be blessed!