Last Monday seemed like the day from hell with one thing after another not working out for me. I was frustrated, tired and completely spent. Then I got a call from one of my mother’s friends, one of my “aunts,” and my emotions took another spin.

She started with small talk, asked about the boys and how the whole family was doing. I asked how she was doing. She mumbled something then asked me how I was doing. “Now, that’s what I asked you and you still haven’t answered me.” Then the conversation broke and so did her water. She gave birth to a flood of tears, completely washing me away. She told me how sickness had taken its toll on her family, how bones, bodies and hearts ached, ravaged from disease. She needed someone to talk to; she needed me to talk to, the frustrated, miserable, pitiful one. The one without words. So I called on the Word, the One who gives all words, creates all days, and allows circumstances that make for frustrating, miserable, sad — hellish— days. He gave me words, too mysterious to now remember or even then to ever know, but He spoke them through me, prayed them through me and simply blessed her and my soul.

After God breathed into our moment, filling our lungs and hearts and blowing on our tears, she said, “God told me, ‘Call Rhonda. And I thank God He sent me an angel.” She said she could now go on, even if just for a little while. And our little while, our 26 minutes, pushed me on, out of my time of frustration and self-absorption and into the presence of God and the need of His people. God planned our meeting at our crossroads, the place where only He could point us the right way. In the middle of our moment I sensed that God had called me there, wanted me to stare in the face of someone else’s adversity and focus on helping to bring them through. This is the Christian obligation, to be there one for another to help a brother and sister see tough times through (Romans 12:15;James 5:16). I thank God He chose me that day, my frustrating day, for such a job as this. His use of me made me see how wallowing in my misery was no good for me or anybody else who God appointed to need me.

How has God had you refocus on someone else’s needs in the midst of your own needs? What did you learn in that instance? Please, tell me what you think.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#421-430
The boys having enough food to eat
Seeing the children excited about going to the park
Watching the children run, jump, slide, climb and swing at the park
Hearing Joshua say unsolicited, “Thanks for taking us to the park.”
Joshua saying, “We need to start working on my science fair project” due a month and a half from now
Having an absolutely fabulous, stress-free day even though I though it would be the opposite (This is the day Flynn began working 14 hour days twice a week.)
Watching the short film “The Cycle” on one of the cable networks through Xfinity on my iPad
A discipleship meeting with a mentee who said she has learned to live in the moments she has and not worry aobut the past or future, her biggest lesson (and the one I was hoping she would get from reading “One Thousand Gifts”)
Sending my mentee home with food
The strength from reading Titus 3