Although the Bible has a lot of doctrines on helping the poor, needy, and fatherless, widows and indeed all those who need help, an experience I had at JFK International Airport in September, 2022, on my way for NAPPSA conference in Tampa, Florida, made me to appreciate this lesson more deeply.
Starting from MM International Airport to board Delta Airline at 11.00am, I was exposed to cold environment and subjected to walking for a long distance. Staying in the cold aircraft for about 11 hours was not pleasant to me. Although I wore a pullover and a jacket and walked about occasionally to exercise my body in the aircraft, the long exposure to cold did not make me comfortable.
On arrival at the JFK International airport, we had to walk a long distance for the protocols to transit to Washington DC (Dulles) airport in Maryland. By divine guidance, my wife asked a lady moving a wheel chair for direction to the gate for Washington DC. She told us that it was a very long distance from there and immediately offered to take my wife in the wheelchair. My wife thanked her but told her I needed it more than her. That lady was like an angel sent to us. She said that she was not assigned to us but she had to do it. She took us to collect the boarding pass and undergo the routine processes. At one entrance reserved for priority passengers, she asked the officer in charge for permission to use it. The officer looked at me, smiled and nodded his head in agreement. I thanked the lady for her help and she cheerfully replied me she receives the Lord’s favour wherever she goes.
Eventually, we got to our gate in good time and with minimum stress and I signed off for the wheelchair service. Before this time, I never used a wheelchair. I used to pity such people in the wheelchair. But it now appears that I will be booking for it any time I travel. In the aircraft, one young couple sitting near us closely watched us. On arrival at the Washington DC airport, the young man stepped forward and offered to carry our two carry-on boxes out of the aircraft. They monitored our movements as we entered the train to pick up our luggage. We went along with them to our conveyor belt and he helped us to bring out our boxes. Our challenge was reaching our relation to pick us up. We could not easily access the free Wi-Fi. He immediately contacted our relation who was already on his way to the airport. This young couple took us to the waiting point and then informed our relation exactly where to pick us up.
I learnt a great lesson from this trip. Everyone has problems of one type or the other. No one has immunity for problems. Everyone needs help from other people at one time or the other. You may have a lot of money but your need may be someone to put food into your mouth in your hospital bed. Sometimes your money can create some problems for you.
Sometimes help comes from unexpected quarters. One thing is certain. God is our Helper and His help is mediated through people. He uses people as vessels or channels to provide help for other people. That is why we give Him glory while appreciating the vessels He has used.
Everyone must cultivate the habit of helping other people so that when you are in need God will provide you help through someone. If you do not help people you may not receive help when you need it.
Proverbs 21:13 NKJV says, “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.” The good we do for other people is like a deposit in a bank. Proverbs 19:17 NKJV says, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given.”
I believe that the spirit of helping others is a grace from God. It does not depend upon how much you have. There are some people who are always ready to give and render help because they love to give and help. There are those who have plenty but are stingy. To them, giving is reducing one’s resources. They don’t know the physical and spiritual law of sowing and reaping.
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