The Gift of Helping

A few days ago, I had the pleasurable experience of meeting someone who, I believe, has the gift of helping others. But let me back up a bit. It all came about during my attempt to make a doctor's appointment. What should have been a routine matter of picking up the phone, dialing a number and getting to speak to someone, turned out to be two whole days of wasted time. By this time, I'd become so frustrated by no one answering or returning my calls, I decided to go to the facility to make the appointment.

And that's where things became a bit interesting. I walked up to the information desk, stated my name and my reason for being there. The lady at the desk said they do not make appointments at the department I needed to visit. She very kindly gave me a number to call. This time someone did answer the phone, but informed me that they do not make appointments for the doctors. He gave me another number, which happened to be the same one I was trying to reach initially. And, you guessed it. No one answered.

By this time, I'm praying for patience and wisdom as to what to do next. I believe the Holy Spirit heard me. Back I went to the information and explained my plight to the employee. Long story short, after making several calls, she was able to locate the address for the number I had been trying to reach. I would have voted her employee of the year if I had that option. I thanked her profusely and walked out the door.

I found the address she gave me quite easily and entered the office to find it empty and just one employee sitting at the desk, arms folded. Anyway, I wrote all this to show how the attitude of the lady at the information desk contrasted sharply with the one at the office who was not answering the phone. I'll never know the reason for that one, but whether you are an employee or not, do try to help others. That woman who helped me had no idea how long I'd been calling that number or how far I'd driven only to get all that run around. What she did for me was not part of her duties. She was simply being helpful.

Paul speaks of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12: 28: "And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues." 

When we think of spiritual gifts, how many of us think of the gift of helping? Yet it is a very important gift and can take many different forms. The apostle Paul mentioned many people in his letters who were of great help to him. People like Aquila and his wife Priscilla, Timothy (whom he called his son) Lucius, Gaius and many others. Great apostle though he was, Paul could not have succeeded without their help.

Do you have the gift of help? If you are not sure, ask the Holy Spirit to show you who might need your help and how you can be helpful to them. You and they will be blessed.

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As a young nun at the Corpus Christi Home for Girls, Marva Garcia has always leaned on the Everlasting Arms for wisdom and strength to meet the day-to-day challenges of mentoring delinquent girls. But when her beloved adoptive father is killed during a Muslim coup, Marva sees her orderly world crumbling around her. As she tries to make sense of all this, Marva is increasingly drawn to another pair of arms that had been there for her all along. Can she love a man and still love God?