I was talking with a young woman this weekend, she was
sharing about her job, she worked with women who were in trouble, women abused by men, abused by drugs, women out of prison,
women fighting for a better life, women looking for help. This was her job, caring for other women,
women not so blessed as herself. One of
the other listeners there said, “What a noble job choice you have made.” The young woman looked up and said "We are all part of the same job, we each share in the responsibility
of caring for others, we all make a difference, at least we all can." She told us that her work was like filling a
bucket…each person in need of help has their own bucket and it is filled one drop at a time from
the people they come in contact with. All
sorts of people are putting drops in, but, she added, "If we are the ones who put
in those last few drops that fill that bucket we are quick to pat ourselves on
the back, ‘look what I did, I've filled the bucket!’ we forget the fact that
there are others that have made a contribution...contributions that made it
possible for the overflow."
This fact that she was pointing out is thought
provoking.
We all have a noble calling you and me, if we would look and see the
buckets that need filling, every drop is noble.
A friend of mine says we need to get away from politics, the politics
of life and of this world, we need to get back to simply helping others, to feeding
the poor, giving a fair wage to the everyday worker and serving others rather
than trying to serve ourselves. I said to him "Jesus said ‘the poor will
always be with us.' We can’t do everything, this is the way of the world, of
society, the poor will always be with us."
He asked “Why?”
Yes, why indeed.
As far as it depends on us, what can we do for the poor and for those in trouble, the poor in spirit? What can you and I do?
I like this bucket idea, if we could just add our drops to
the bucket and realize that we have done our part; that we have simply done our
part whether it is putting in the first few drops, pouring in a lot or whether
it is putting in those last drops that cause the overflow. This may seem a small thing to do, a drop in
a bucket, but like this young woman suggested; every drop is noble. Watching
for the buckets and adding drops, looking out for the overflow, hoping for the
overflow, this is what we can do.
“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, 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. Then the righteous will answer him 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
The King will reply 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:35-40
Filling buckets…every drop is noble.
I love that.
