The Right Touch

One afternoon Mark, an acquaintance from our neighborhood, stopped by to see my husband, Bob, and me. "Charlotte, I wonder if you could do an unusual favor for me," he said. He held up a new Bible. "Will you take this as an anonymous gift to a widow in our neighborhood?"

I gulped, not knowing what to say. Mark explained that Linda was a woman in her 50s whose husband had died a few months before. Because she lived alone, he did not feel comfortable going to see her. But in a casual conversation, Linda had told him she wanted to study the Bible and needed a newer version.

"I will have to get to know her first before I give her anything," I said.

Praying for God's guidance, I called Linda and introduced myself. "I'm one of your neighbors who heard about your loss. I'm so sorry."

A few days later Linda and I walked her dog, and she poured out her story. A week later I gave her the Bible, explaining it was from another neighbor who cared. Her voice broke. "It's beautiful! Oh, I am so touched."

Too often I'm absorbed in my own interests and miss those opportunities — like the one with Linda — to consistently touch lives beyond my family and friends. How can we take chances to more often share God's love in small ways?

Personal contact. Set up coffee or lunch with an acquaintance who seems lonely. Take a homemade gift and note to a person who has served you. Visit individuals who are homebound. However you choose to meet, take time to encourage conversation with eye contact and a listening ear.

Use the phone. Get in the habit of phoning people. Each day write a "to call" list that goes beyond family. Invite others to groups or church activities. Many people who live alone crave conversation.

Another option is to look up old friends from your previous work, neighborhood or even school. A woman, soon to turn 70, set a year's goal to locate seven friends, one for each decade. She initiated wonderful phone visits. She and her friends exchanged faith-building stories that encouraged them all.

Snail mail. Write a note of appreciation to government leaders, doctors, authors and other individuals in public service. Make your message specific. A Christian man in his 80s keeps stationery boxes by his chair. He prayerfully writes notes of encouragement throughout the week. When he can't sleep, he writes a note.

Use the Internet. If you use e-mail, you have the world at your fingertips. Build new friendships with those you've met volunteering or on a trip. Try a letter to the editor of a magazine or newspaper. Keep in touch with friends or missionaries in other countries. There are endless possibilities to build ties through e-mail. Explore them!

Be open and spontaneous. Keep alert so you can meet people in informal situations like the grocery store, doctor's office or on a plane. During one flight I met a young woman, Caroline, from Kenya. We found common interests, including speaking German. Our friendship grew through e-mail. When she studied in the States, my husband and I invited her to our home, visited her in Denver and attended her commencement there. "You're like family now," she tells us.

Jesus commanded us to love others as ourselves. So let go of things that unnecessarily engulf your time, like hours of TV or surfing the Web. When we intentionally reach out, we reflect God, and our own walk is brightened with His joy and blessing.