If I Can Help Somebody

Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, March 28, 2018

There’s a song that the late, great Mahalia Jackson use to sing called “If I can help somebody.” The lyrics are as follows: “If I can help somebody as I travel along If I can help somebody with a word or a song If I can help somebody from doing wrong My living shall not be in vain” There are so many people in the world today that need help. Sometimes the help is in the form of money, sometimes food, and sometimes it can come in the form of a kind word. I remember many years ago my youngest daughter and I were at the hospital visiting a family member and a young lady came in the door with an elderly woman whom I believe was her grandma. Fast forward a few hours, my daughter and I were getting ready to leave and we saw the young lady sitting down crying, the doctor told her that her grandma had passed. Her heart was broken and my daughter’s was breaking watching her. My daughter didn’t say anything to her, she just sat down beside her and wrapped her arms around her. The young lady leaned into her and bawled her eyes out because at that moment she needed someone to just provide a little bit of comfort so she wouldn’t feel so alone. We stayed with her until her family members made it to the hospital and then we left. I asked my daughter why she did that and she said because she was in the hospital one day and a nurse did the same thing for her. Let’s reach out to not only those we know and love, but also to those we may not know and those who may not be so lovable. Most people are struggling with something and a kind word or gesture can sometimes alleviate the pain, even if only for a little while. The Dalai Lama has a quote that I absolutely love and it says, “Our prime purpose in life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” Be Blessed In Jesus’ Name. Mary Simmons can be reached at marysimmons@ embarqmail.com.