“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

The other day, I was sitting at my desk and noticed a pick up truck had pulled quickly into our parking lot. The truck had gotten a flat tire and the driver wanted to get off the highway fast to avoid a potential collision. I the watched the gentleman who was driving the truck shaking his head while looking at his tools in the back of the truck. When I went out to speak with him, he explained that he had some tools, but it the right ones to fix his tire. With my truck parked close by, I tried to grab some tools and a jack from there. It turned out that my tools were not the proper ones for his truck either. However, we noticed that if we did some improvising, we could use both my tools and his together and make it work. We had his truck up and tire changed in no time. The gentleman thanked me and he was off again.

Sometimes we are faced with tough situations where the tools we have at our disposal, whether mental, physical, or emotional, aren’t really enough to get us by. In the book of Genesis, God said that it’s not right for man to be alone. He knew that we would often need someone to share in the struggles and also share in the joys of life. In fact, God never made any of us to be completely self sufficient. We all need a helping hand now and then.

No matter who you are or what you know or do, you are valuable to somebody. You may not have found that somebody yet or been exposed to the situation that God has in store for you yet, but stay tuned! The day is coming when you will be the right person, in the right place, at the right time. You probably don’t realize what you bring to the table as a person, but God has a plan for everyone. You are needed and important.

You might be thinking, “What could I possibly offer someone in need? I’m not strong and I don’t have a lot of money.” Let me tell you that your value to this world and especially to God is based on more than just your bank account or your physique. No matter the situation, you may just be the person who makes all the difference. You might be the one with the kind words just when another person’s life is shattered, but they’re too proud to show it. You could be the person who was able to buy a couple of groceries and show love to that homeless guy on the street when no one else would. Your kindness and love can manifest itself into many different forms, but it is still love. And love is straight from God, who is love itself.

God won’t let anything in your past just be for nothing. He will use you, your tired and your brokenness, all the good times and bad times you’ve ever gone through just to help someone through their struggle. God has angels to help, that’s true, but He often does some of His best work though his “angels” here on earth. You and I can change the course of not one one person’s life, but potentially the lives of generations to come, especially when we are showing Jesus to someone for the first time.

In Exodus 17, the Israelites were fighting the Amalekites. When Moses kept his arms outstretched in prayer, the battle went well for Israel, but when his hands dropped, the army of Israel would suffer heavy losses. After a while, Moses’ brother Aaron and his friend Hur helped prop Moses’ hands up until the battle was won. They provided that essential helping hand in the realest sense and so can you. Realize that everyone has that secret struggle that nobody knows about. You may have just gone through something and your advice and strength could help another person through their toughest times. Be there to help hold them up not only with your own prayers, but with your actions as well.

The fresh air that you give someone may be just what it takes to get them back on the right road again. Never miss an opportunity to show somebody the love of Jesus Christ.

God’s blessings to you.

DH